Treacherous
by blu3crush
Summary: A Treacherous Betrayal. 10 days before his wedding, he did an unforgiveable act. A Sara/Grissom/Catherine story.
1. Prologue

**Treacherous**

* * *

A Treacherous Betrayal.

10 days before his wedding, he did an unforgiveable act.

A Sara/Grissom/Catherine story.

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**( PROLOGUE )**

They tumbled into his townhouse. Her hands raking through his thick curls, breathing heavily down his neck. He linked his arms around her slender waist, and blew alcoholic breaths near her ear.

"Pin me down," she breathed.

And he did. He pinned her against the wall. He grabbed her hands and held it above her. He dived down and devoured her lips hungrily. She pushed her tongues into his mouth, tangling with his. She wrapped her lanky legs around his waist and pulled her arms free.

Her hands found his shirt buttons and fumbled with it. She growled in frustration when the buttons refused to cooperate with her shaky hands. She was worried if there was a pause in this heated moment, everything would come to an end.

Guilt was overwhelming but all she asked for was just one night with him. She knew it was wrong to take advantage of his delirious state. She knew she should stop him but she just could not do it.

He carried her to his master bedroom, and placed her down gently in the middle of his king-sized bed. Acting on his instinct, he straddled her and he found his way under her blouse. He planted a trail of kisses, starting from her forehead to her neck.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, tasting the saltiness on her face.

She pulled him down. "Don't stop."

As much as he did not like the pleading in her voice, he lost his sanity when she reached into his pants.

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This is a WIP story, thus, I am still not very sure how it would end. I am not very sure if you all like this fiction not. – I hope you do.

I am threading into a very different genre. This is definitely not something I used to write but I hoped I can pull it off.

And this is my 10th fiction! Yay!

Love,  
blu3crush


	2. Parallel

Thanks for your reviews. You're loved. Please keep them coming.

This happened at the end of Season 3. I'm a little OCD with the timeline. Thus, I normally write a story with particular timeline. I find this helps me to develop the story better.

Do let me know how you think about this or give some suggestions. :-)

My first draft was scraped and re-written. I have done my best to proofread it. If there were any mistakes, please forgive!

Thanks.

Love,

blu3crush.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 1 )**

_**Parallel**_

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Catherine sighed as she watched Grissom walked to the OR unsteadily, using the pillars to support himself instead of using the wheelchair the nurse pushed in. Her stomach twisted with worries that Grissom might fall down. His balance was so off. But he wanted to preserve one last ounce of dignity. He did not want anyone to brand him as weak and helpless. So, he chose to stagger his way to the OR.

Catherine knew that Grissom was a proud man and would definitely refused any good wills from her.

"Gil, please be okay." She prayed in her heart. When was the last time she prayed? She could not recall. Ever since she worked as a stripper and seen the worst of human race, she stopped praying. Praying did not put food on the table. Praying did not stop the customers from groping her and treating her as a rag doll.

"How long will the surgery be?" Catherine asked the nurse who just came in. The nurse who was picking up Grissom's belongings turned around with a small smile.

"If there are no complications, the surgery will take 2 hour. It's a simple surgery." The nurse knew families of patient tended to expect the worst outcome for a surgery. There were too many 'what-ifs' left unanswered. It worried and frustrated them.

"Mrs. Grissom, you can wait in Dr. Grissom's ward. He will be send to the ward after the surgery," the nurse added. She placed Grissom's clothing, watch and spectacles into a clear plastic bag and passed the plastic bag to Catherine.

A smile spread across Catherine's face when the nurse mistook her as Grissom's wife. She made no attempt to correct her. Somehow, it felt great to be mistaken. Perhaps, somewhere in her heart, she wanted to be Mrs. Grissom. Catherine Grissom sounded nice too.

"Thanks," Catherine squinted at the nurse's name badge, "Eliza."

"Let me show you the way to the ward," Eliza flashed a huge smile. She loved how some paid special attention to nurse or treated them as equals. Nurses were often disregarded or physically or verbally abused by the families of patient.

She liked Mrs. Grissom. She was polite, pretty and smart. Not the typical stereotypes blondes who displayed a holier-than-thou attitude.

"Mrs. Grissom, if you need anything- an extra blanket or anything-, just let me knows. It gets kind of chilly here." Eliza said before stepping out of the ward.

"Thanks. Before you go, when's my husband coming out of the OR?" Catherine asked, twisting the ring on her finger. Whenever she was worried, she would twist the ring out of reflex.

"Perhaps in another 30 - 45 minutes," Eliza looked at the small pocket watch she always hung on her side pocket. Catherine gave Eliza a grateful smile.

A huge sigh of relief emitted from her when she relaxed onto the sofa near the bed.

But her relief was short-lived. When minutes stretched to hours, Catherine started to worry. Her nervousness she felt in her stomach made her to pace around the small room. She felt confined and wanted some fresh air. But she did not want to miss Eliza if there were any news. She was contended with cracking knuckles, biting lips and twisting her ring.

She heard stomping in the corridor which was unusual for a hospital. No one should run on hospital corridor. It was dangerous and inconsiderate.

"Mrs. Grissom," Eliza's heavy panting caught Catherine attention. She turned and saw Eliza gripping the door frame and gulping huge amount of air.

"Dr. Grissom is fine. They will be sending him in now," she said in between breathes.

Tears were threatening to spill when Catherine saw Grissom. The white sheen that covered his face broke her heart. She was not used to seeing Grissom lying on a bed, weak and vulnerable. She grasped his hands in hers and prayed.

She knew that she had to say something to him when he wakes up.

She loves him.

Since when did that happened? She found herself asking.

And honestly, she did not have the answer to that. They had an easy working relationship and a close friendship. He was there when she served Eddie Willows divorce papers, brought her out for a beer and stayed with her.

"Catherine?" a hoarse voice croaked dryly.

Gil Grissom expected to wake up alone. He never thought he would see a tear-stricken Catherine. The dry trails glistened under the light that was right above them. The Catherine he knew never cried.

"Please don't scare me anymore," all of a sudden, Catherine planted feathery kisses on his face, trailing from his forehead to his cheeks and lastly to his lips. Her hands squeezed his tightly.

She finally stopped and watched his reaction or the lack thereof.

"I don't know when but I love you," she said, tightened her grasps.

Never once in Grissom's life, he expected a confession. Being socially inept, he kept to himself and wanted to live a solitude life. After a short brief affair with Terri Miller, he decided that he was better left alone. He contemplated a relationship with a certain lanky brunettes but decided against it. It was too dangerous and it would crumple his world, his career, basically everything he worked so hard for.

"Gil," Catherine bit her lips worriedly. Did she scare Grissom? If this confession did not work out as she planned, things would be awkward between Grissom and her.

"What do you think?" Catherine's voice was barely audible. She feared rejection. Since young, she did not take rejection well As a matter of fact, she was never rejected. Whatever she wanted, she would have it, by hook or by crook.

Grissom gave Catherine's confession a serious thought. He was sure he wasn't in love with Catherine but they shared a connection. A connection he could not put a word to describe it. Definitely, he enjoyed her company and did not mind when she intruded his personal space. But that did not constitute to love, at least to him. Love was something much more special. Perhaps, it was the foreign feeling he had for Sara. Whenever she whizzed past him, his stomach churned when he caught a whiff of her fresh peachy scent. Or the nagging feelings he had when he saw Greg slinging his hands around her waist, and pecked on her cheek.

But he knew that he would never do anything to pursue her. There was the age factor. He was too old. She was too young. And they were superior and subordinate, - a relationship that normally frowned about if they dare to cross the professional line. It was a potential, - no definitely -, a career ender for them. Could he risk it? No. He could not.

If getting into a relationship with Catherine would put a stop to Sara and his feelings, he was more than willing to try. A relationship with Catherine would never hurt his career. Swing shift had a supervisor opening, and Catherine could take it.

Gil Grissom was a selfish man. He was unwilling to reshuffle his priorities in life. He was just finding loopholes in his life.

Grissom beckoned Catherine to come nearer to him. He stroked her silky tresses when she rested her head on his chest. Catherine's perfume was overwhelming his nose. He never liked strong, musky perfume. He preferred light, fruity ones.

Though they were in the same room, but they had very different things in mind.

He was thinking about Sara and the hurt she would receive when she learned about them.

While she was thinking about their future, and congratulations they would receive when the lab learned about them.

* * *

I think lately I'm in love with a bad, selfish Grissom. Opps.


	3. Abyss

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 2 )**

_**Abyss**_

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Sara returned to Las Vegas after a short holiday feeling refreshed and somehow happier. The heavy stones in her heart were finally lifted when she returned to San Francisco. Contrary to popular belief, Sara Sidle had a healthy social life before Vegas. She had friends - friends who she abandoned for Grissom – who accepted her as she was.

With a huge grin and welcome-home banner, they welcome her back to San Francisco. They let out a huge laughter when they saw her blushing. The misery that etched on her face when Grissom rejected her dinner invitation was finally replaced with a smile.

A downcast shadow dominated her face when she saw Las Vegas Crime Lab as she pulled into the parking lot. This place weighted her down. The only reason why she called Las Vegas her home for the past 4 years was Grissom. And now, she felt that the reason was no longer strong enough. Perhaps she should go to anywhere but here.

"… I can't believe that…"

"… I think they are great together."

"Well… I thought he was just interested in bugs…"

"She's attractive for her age."

"Do you think they have sex?"

"Ewww. You're disgusting!" the first woman scowled her face in disgust then laughed.

That was what Sara heard when she stepped into the building. The front-desk receptionists were gossiping. She did not mean to linger around to listen. But he-was-interested-in-bug description made her stopped in her steps.

"SARA! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!" Greg's voice boomed behind her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. "Gregory Hojem-Sanders." She put on her stern voice.

Greg put on his best puppy eyes and goofy grin. "You're back. I miss you."

He leaned forward, "I have gossips. Not exactly gossips. It's confirmed though."

"What gossips?" Sara asked. Her curiosity piqued. Greg Sander's gossips were always spot on and juicy.

"Catherine is moving to swing as a supervisor and," he paused to observe her reactions, "… she's involved with Grissom intimately."

And they said curiosity killed the cat. No, it killed Sara Sidle. It broke her heart into million pieces. Just a few weeks ago, Sara convinced herself that Grissom was not ready for a relationship. There were just too many obstacles between them and once they were moved out their way, they can have a relationship, an intimate one.

She went for a short holiday and now Catherine and Grissom were involved.

How the hell did that happened? She wanted to scream out loud and kicked whatever or whomever nearby. The anger was building and waiting to explode. She knew that she could not keep her emotions in check if she stayed an extra minute in this place. She did not want anyone or worse Grissom seeing her break down.

"Sara?" Greg was concerned.

"Greg, I am not feeling well. Tell Grissom I'm taking the night off," she faked a cough. No way could she work today. She was not functioning at all. All she wanted now was a cold beer and loud booming music to distract her.

She staggered out of the Crime Lab quickly before Greg had the chance to grab her hand.

It dawned on her.

Grissom wanted a relationship. But the person was not her.

No doubt Catherine was prettier, sexier and more confident. The way Catherine flipped her hair. The way Catherine sashayed down the hallway. How she strutted around in those impossible Louboutins. It turned heads. The man lusted for her. They leered when she bended down in her low-cut tank top, her breasts threatening to spill out.

"Damn it!" she cursed loudly, hitting the steering wheel harshly. Her knuckles numbed with pain. She saw Greg running out from the building. Ignoring the pains, she started the engine and stepped on the accelerator.

She needed to leave here now.

The emotional pains Grissom inflicted on her would never heal.

She lost count the number of beers she had downed in the past 2 hours. The bartender, - Joe, Sara thinks – shook his head when he passed the young brunette her tenth beer. He saw many women who drowned their sorrows in beers when their love was rejected. The self-pity stance, red swollen eyes; he seen them every night.

"Hi Baby Doll," a man walked towards Sara. He blew hot breathes on Sara's neck, and placed his hand on the small of Sara's back. Normally, she would flip anyone over who called her 'Baby Doll'. But tonight, she relished in the attention. Attention that Grissom never gave.

Her keen senses dulled by the huge amount of alcohol she drank. She did not fling that hand that was caressing her back away instead she smiled at the man. Other than the salt and pepper curls and the deep blue eyes, this man in front of her looked exactly like the man she yearned for.

The man, seeing that Sara didn't mind his hand rubbing her back, decided to be bolder. He slid his hand under jacket and stroked her smooth bare skin.

Sara giggled. Since when did Grissom become so bold?

"Let's go. My place," the man nibbled on Sara's ear. He never thought that his young woman would be an easy target. He was just trying his luck and tonight lady luck was on his side.

Sara fumbled down the chair and into the man's arms. The man was wearing cologne but Grissom did not. If she did not drink so much, she would notice that this man was not Grissom. Then she thought what else to lose anyway. She lost so many things already. Grissom had thrown her into an abyss and let her fall freely.

"Let's go," the man held her tightly and rushed her out of the bar. He was afraid if he allowed her thoughts to be clear, then this baby doll would slip right through his palm.

Sara was pushed into the passenger side of his car roughly. Then the man climbed into the driver side. He licked his lips when he saw Sara had peeled off her jacket and revealing her prominent collarbone and cleavage. The thin camisole she was wearing did nothing much to protect her modesty.

"Baby Doll, we'll be home soon."

She cringed at the word 'Baby Doll' but her mind was reeling. She felt flushed and hot.

"I'm feeling hot…" she commented and reached for the A/C.

The guy grabbed hold of her hand. "A/C is spoilt." He lied smoothly. He wanted to know if she would take off her clothes not if the A/C was not turned on. He led her hand to his pants.

"This is for you." He swallowed hard. He wanted to take her here and hard but decided that she deserved more. He stepped on the accelerator hardly and sped off for his apartment.

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Want to know if anything happened? Please review. XD _Your reviews would help updating faster!_

I loved to know what you think!

Next chapter, it will be more of Grissom and Sara.

Love, blu3crush.


	4. Trepidation

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 3 )**

_**Trepidation**_

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"Good morning sunshine, this is your boyfriend-wannabe Greg Sanders. It's an early rollout. Multiple homicides. All hands on deck. I'm picking you up in 15 minutes." Greg crooned happily.

Sara hated the energy in Greg's voice. He sounded well-rested and happy. Grissom allowed him to work on the scene as training. She sighed and looked at the alarm clock beside her bed. The red digits showed 6.30am and in ten more minutes Greg would be here.

She jumped out of the bed and ransacked her wardrobe for a long sleeve t-shirt. She slipped it on and donned a pair of dark blue jeans. She splashed her face with ice-cold water without looking at the mirror. Sara Sidle was not a woman who would check her reflection and cared about a flyaway hair or bother to make up.

She had 5 more minutes before Greg arrived. There were enough times for instance coffee. Though 3-in-1 coffee made her cringed, but she needed the caffeine. Her head was pounding and what happened last night was a blur.

Her phone blared. "Give me a few minutes, Greg."

She washed her cup and tied the trash bag. She was not a woman who goes out without emptying her trash and making her bed.

She climbed into department issued Tahoe and greeted Greg with a small smile. This was the first time she was glad that Greg was driving. If she was driving, she was not sure if she would lead them into an accident.

"Geez Sara! You look more horrible than yesterday!" Greg exclaimed.

Sara looked over her shoulder and wanted to give Greg a tell-off.

"Why you betrayed me, Sara?" Greg deadpanned, gesturing her to look at the rearview mirror.

When Sara saw her reflection, the memories of last night flooded back into her mind.

"You might want to cover that up and roll down your sleeves. Your hickeys are all so obvious I can see from a mile. I have some concealer in the compartment box. Sometimes I have a huge red zit in the middle of my forehead and I don't want Hodges to make fun of me." He started the engine and reversed out of Sara's parking lot.

The memories churned Sara's stomach. Now she knew why her head was pounding and her whole body was aching. Then she saw the contusions on her wrists. She remembered his belt wound around her wrists tightly against her wishes.

"Sara, are you okay?" Greg asked. His eyes were focused on the road but his heart was with Sara. He knew that Sara did not have a boyfriend or anyone intimate since the episode with Hank but the hickeys told him another story.

"Just drive, Greg." Sara did not want to talk at all. The bile that was building up in her throat threatened to spill out as the fog of her memories begin to clear. She was disgusted by herself.

She searched the compartment box for Greg's concealer and hoped the concealer did the magical job of covering them. She did not want Grissom to see her in this state. She had a pride and did not want Grissom to question her and stomped her pride or whatever was left.

When they arrived at the scene, they saw the frenzy media hovering behind the yellow crime scene tape. The reporters were giving different versions of the murders and wanted to get first-hand information.

Then a video camera was directed towards her direction. The male reporter walked right towards her.

"Hi, this is Grayson Walsh. Is there anything for you to tell us?" the male reporter asked her, shoving the microphone towards her. He winked suggestively and mouthed "Baby Doll".

The hazel eyes, and slight cleft chin – Sara realized he was the man from last night. He had recognized her and singled her out when he saw her climbing out of the Tahoe with a kit in her hand.

Realizing Sara's discomfort, Greg stood between the two of them. "Back off." He pushed him out of the way and grabbed Sara's wrist and ducked under the crime scene tape together. Sara moaned softly. Her wrists hurt but she did not dare to make any sound. She feared the attention. Grayson Walsh was not going to let her off easily. She saw it in his eyes.

Grissom barked at them when he saw them approaching. "Sara – you take the last room down this hallway with Greg."

She sighed in relief when Grissom did not arrange her to work with him. She just could not face him now. There was the awkwardness between them.

She collected the various evidences and logged them conscientiously. This case was a hot case. The murders of a wealthy, powerful family were not going to be just any other cases. The media, sheriff and Conrad were going to breath down their neck and demanded them to close case as soon as possible. Any error on their side was not going to be let off easily by the media.

Sara stretched herself when she finished collecting the evidences. Her body was sore from all the squatting, bending down and last night activities. She pushed those memories to one corner of her mind when she was working but now when she was done, it engulfed her again.

"Sara, are you okay?" Greg walked towards her and slung an arm around her. She was pale and shaking.

"I think so. Can you put the evidences in the SUV? I will take a walk round the perimeter." Sara gave him a dry smile and passed him all the evidences. "You need more concealer!" Greg shoved his hands into his jean pocket and produced another tub of concealer. "I'm vain." He stuck out his tongue. Sara accepted gratefully. She did not want anyone to pry into her personal life when they saw her hickeys.

She examined the huge backyard for any signs of disturbance. There was nothing at all. There were no suspicious footprints or any misplaced stuffs. She let out a disappointed sigh when she realized there was nothing here to help to build the case.

"Hi Baby Doll."

Sara stiffened when she heard that voice. The owner of the voice was Grayson Walsh and he was the man whom she had a one night stand.

She heard the rustling and knew that he was walking closer towards her. She did not know if she was frightened or numbed, her defense mechanism did not kick in. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and nibbled her neck.

"Why you cover them up? They were very beautiful. Each of them indicated one climax." He brushed his finger over each spot where he planted a hickey. "Why did you leave when I went for a shower? I am so ready for another few more rounds?" he snaked his hand under her t-shirt and groped her breasts.

Sara wanted to elbowed him in the stomach hardly but her mind was not registering that action. She was stiff. She knew that she should shout for help but her voice betrayed her.

"Saw those marks on your wrists? You were naughty last night. You wanted to hit me but I relished at the struggle you gave. I loved them." he moved his hand down her toned stomach.

"My sweet, sweet baby doll," he pressed his erection against her butt. "Do you have any exclusive for me?" he rocked his body.

Sara gasped in relief when she heard Grissom shouting. Though she did not want him see her in such vulnerable position but she was glad that someone could rescue her from Grayson Walsh.

"Who are you and why are you disturbing my CSI?"

Grayson let go of Sara immediately. "I am getting some exclusive." He pointed towards Sara. "I gave her a hell of the night yesterday and she was going to give me some exclusive about this case." He lied. A smooth liar he was. As a reporter, there were times he lied to get a scoop.

"Get out of here before I get the police to book you. You're trespassing." Grissom gritted his teeth. He was seething. The suggestive tone Grayson had angered him. He realized that this man in front of him was screwing his Sara last night.

Grayson shrugged lazily. "Bye Baby Doll."

When Grayson walked away, Grissom closed the distance between Sara and him. He grasped hold of her wrists roughly.

"Sara Sidle, what are you doing? You let a reporter into the crime scene. This is a violation." He berated sharply and squeezed her wrists. She let out a painful yelp and the tears she was hiding from him rolled down her cheek.

"Sara?" his tone softened when he saw Sara crying. The Sara he knew never cried. She kept her tears away from them.

"Let go, Grissom. It hurts." She choked. Her wrists were pulsating with pains. Then he saw the wild fear in her eyes. He realized that reporter had just put her through some sort of ordeal. He did not let go but instead rolled her sleeves up. He saw the sickening bruises.

"What happened?" he asked as he pulled her into a hug. He wanted to calm her down. He disregarded any rumors that might spread if anyone saw them in this position. He just wanted to be there for her.

"Nothing, Grissom." She pulled away from him. Though she felt safe in his arms, she knew that she should not allow herself to enjoy that. He was Catherine's now.

The emptiness he felt when she pulled away gnawed his heart. He never wanted to let go.

"Grissom, what happened in my personal life, I will never allowed it to interfere my work. That was just a first time," she turned away from him.

"Honey." He called out of habit.

"Don't honey me. You should call Catherine that." She started to walk away.

He felt someone just punched him hard in the stomach when she walked away. She knew about Catherine and him and that fact terrified him. It was as if she chose to be walk out of his life and he will never have the chance to see her again.

At that very moment, he regretted the choice he made a few weeks ago.

He watched her back became smaller and smaller and found himself convulsing with fear.

Her unique peachy scent lingered in his nose and he realized he was going to miss them when she found the strength to leave Las Vegas and him.

He did not want that to happen. He needed to do something to keep her here and by his side.

* * *

A little GSR for GSR fans though this is not a very blissful, happy GSR scene. I hope you still enjoy it. Did you have a little hope up when you read that Sara woke up in her own apartment but disappointed by the hickeys and bruises on her wrists. Do you hate Grayson Walsh? Yes I hate him but he might appear in a few more scenes. Do you like this Grissom?

There will be Catherine in next chapter for Catherine fans! I will not neglect her. Don't worry!

Just a note, next week, I am going to be busy with my work and when I returned home, I just wanted to sleep so updates may be slow. Hope you don't mind. But I will write and update once I have the chance.

I will be updating The Game of Love later too hopefully. The next chapter is all over my mind and I just need to write them into words.

So, let me know how I did for this chapter. If you like it or dislike it, just review! Your reviews/comments are deeply appreciated and valued.

And definitely, your reviews will help updating faster. When I motivated, I write! Hopefully I can find time after work to write!

Thanks!

Love, blu3crush.


	5. Disappointment

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 4 )**

_**Disappointment**_

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Smiling, Catherine prepped herself for the date Grissom and she will be having tonight. She had the day off and Grissom is coming over after shift. Though they went on a few dinner dates after they were together officially but she felt something was missing.

Passion – they were missing out on that.

Grissom never whispered sweet nothings in her ears or neither did he stay for the night. He was a gentleman who sent her home with a chaste kiss on her left cheek. When she tried to kiss on his lips, he backed away awkwardly. She was hurt by his action but thought it was perhaps Grissom never been involved with a woman intimately for a long period of time.

But tonight, it was going to be different. She was planning a huge milestone of their relationship.

They were going to have earth-shattering, mind-blowing sex.

Catherine, being an ex-stripper, knew everything to entice a man. And Grissom, after all, was still a man with needs. Catherine knew that she had the charm and always put them into good use.

She always wore something that can either show off her full breasts or prominent collarbone. She wore only pencil skirts which exhibit her hips or figure-hugging pants. She never thought that being a CSI; she should neglect the way she looked at a crime scene, office or the police department.

Sometimes she viewed Sara as a competition. Sara was younger and never needed any help from clothes or makeup. When she walked into the lab the first time, Catherine knew that Sara attracted the attention she always wanted.

Catherine was vocal about her thoughts about Sara when she first came to Vegas as per Grissom's request. She never understood why but recently she knew the reason. She was jealous. The jealousy bug was chewing her when Grissom told her he trusted Sara and Sara was a close friend.

She was worried that now she was in swing shift, she could never micromanage the connection Sara and Grissom shared.

Decided to shake Sara off her mind and focused on the dinner tonight, she slipped the silk teddy she just bought from La Perla on. The peach colored a-line dress brought out the warmth of her cool blue eyes. The make-up was perfect, not overly done but enough to cover her imperfections. Reaching for her Chanel No 5, she sprayed them over her body liberally. This perfume heavy with animal musk was definitely sexually provocative.

She gave her reflection one last look. Satisfied with what she saw, she moved down to kitchen to prepare the aphrodisiac food. She bought oysters, salmon, and asparagus for main course. And with a little help of a couple of wine, Grissom and she will be finally ready for some fun.

The foods were in the microwave ready for heat up when Grissom arrived. She sang to the song while going around the house to set up the candles and lighting them. The candles gave off a soft glow which made the whole room welcoming and relaxing.

Settling on the sofa nearby, she waited for Grissom to arrive.

* * *

He let his trained eyes to scan through the DNA results Greg had just passed him for the media-frenzy case. There was nothing to help out the cases. So far, all the blood and epithelial belonged to the family members of the rich Kent family. There was no progress in the case.

He sighed dejectedly when he closed the brown manila folder. He glanced at his clock and realized he had a date with Catherine. The few dinner dates with Catherine were definitely enjoyable. He liked her company but his heart told him the feeling wasn't right.

He bought her dinner, strolled down the brightly lit street with their hands entwined and then sent her home. Then nothing else happened. She was confused of the lack of actions and wanted more but he always backed away. There was something stopping him from taking their relationship to another step. And the reason was definitely Sara.

What troubles had he landed himself in? He thought bitterly. The peoples in the lab and PD gave them their best wishes and told them they were a great couple. Brass jokingly told him he should have taken the action earlier. Warrick and Nick dabbed their eyes with tissue and told him that he finally lifted his head up from the microscope.

He let out a frustrated sigh. There was no turning back now. Although he regretted the choice, he could not just end it with Catherine. There were too many complications. And the team would be divided. And he could not risk that. Team spirit was what held them together and solved cases effectively.

He flicked the lights off and decided to head over to Catherine's reluctantly. He could not let down Catherine. She was excited about this and mentioned that she put in loads of efforts.

He hoped that there will be some progress for the Kent Family's murders when he returned.

"… where's Sara?" Nick asked casually, realizing he had not seen Sara after they returned from the mansion.

"I laced her tea with some sleeping pills. She's sleeping soundly on the makeshift bed in the empty office. She needed the sleep. I put a huge Do Not Disturb sign on the door and locked the door, closed the blinds and gave her a warm blanket. She will be thankful!" Greg smiled jovially, thinking he did a great deed for Sara.

"You do know that she will kill you when she wakes up right?" Nick shook his head. Although he agreed that Sara needed some rest, but he did not think that what Greg did was right. Lacing her tea with sleeping pills was not a great idea.

"Let's go to Frank! If Sara wants to kill me when she wakes up, at least let me die as a satisfied ghost!" Greg punched Nick's arms lightly and raced him to the entrance.

When he overheard the conversation between Nick and Greg, he found himself walking towards the empty office instead of the exit. He should give Greg a verbal warning for lacing Sara's tea but he felt that he did something right – allowing Sara to rest. Sara was insomniac and listened to the police scanner when she was at home.

He finally found the empty office with the Do Not Disturb sign. He was not proud of his lock-picking skills which he picked up when he was in high school, but today it was the best skills he ever learnt.

The door opened with a soft click. Grissom entered the room hurriedly and locked the door. He did not know why he wanted to lock the door but he felt safe to do that. His eyes travelled to the sleeping form on the futon. He was comforted when her chest falling and raising steady. It indicated she was in deep sleep.

She shifted to rest on her side and her long arms hanging at the edge of the bed. He checked the bruising she had on her wrists and was relieved that it was subsiding. He brushed the stray hairs off her face gently. There were tears on her face.

There was a sharp pain in his heart. Who made her cry? And he realized ironically the answer to that question was him. He seemed to be the perpetrator of her tears and misery.

"…Sara," he called gently when he realized she was shaking and mumbling.

"… No… Don't…" she held up her hands in defense.

"Get off me…" Sara brandished her hands wildly. Her voice told him she was frightened and needed someone to save her.

"Sara," he called again, this time firmly. He needed her to wake up from the nightmare.

Now, he no longer finds Greg's idea good.

"Damn," he cursed when he realized that Sara was not waking up.

He climbed on to the small futon bed and held her tightly in his arms and prayed that this would calm her down. And it did. Sara felt that someone was holding her, protecting her. And she stopped her frantic movements when she realized Grayson Walsh was finally drifting out of her nightmare.

* * *

Catherine glanced at the clock beside her. Grissom was late. The candles were burning out. The room was plagued with a stifling darkness. She did not want to sound or acted like the overly obsessive girlfriend who consistently checked the boyfriend's whereabouts.

She pursed her lips in frustration when she realized she was routed to the voicemail.

Perhaps he was working another shift. The Kent Family was one of the richest in Neveda. And Conrad won't let him off easily. Or perhaps, he was tired and returned to his townhouse instead of coming.

Catherine tried to find reasons for Grissom but whichever reasons she had was not satisfying. He could call her and she would understand. But why, now she was reduced to a teenager who was waiting for the crush's phone call?

Disappointed, she went to the kitchen to throw out all the food she prepared painstakingly. She let out the pent-up grievances in her heart through smashing the plates onto the floor.

Catherine Willows was never a woman who allowed men to control her emotions. And Gil Grissom was the first one who could do that.

* * *

Do you like the little GSR scene I slipped in this chapter? :) I actually wanted that to happen in the previous chapter but it's getting a little too long.

Next chapter, there will be loads of GSR - hopefully! Well, definitely will have!

I finished this chapter when I posted the previous chapter. And being me, I don't like to keep chapter in my Document Manager. So I decided to post. So, please be kind to review! :) I hoped the next bout of GSR will entice you to review.

Your reviews/comments are deeply appreciated!

Thanks for all the reviews.

Perhaps Sara never choose Grayson Walsh. - She's intoxicated?!

Thanks!


	6. Complications

Hope you enjoy this.

I know I promised loads of GSR and something sweet for them but well the muse failed me. And I created a tacky situation for Grissom and Sara last chapter which I did not know how to resolve them. Just a caution, this chapter progressed on to be a little heavy.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 5 )**

_**Complications**_

* * *

Grissom woke up with a stirring in his pants, and felt that his pants seemed to shrink. The sleeping form snuggled closed to him and her butt was grinding his lower body unintentionally. There was a tension in both his chest and his pants. All his blood seemed to rush down to his lower body, bringing his manhood to life. He clenched his fists and groaned inwardly.

He had never ever waked up with an intense need to relief himself in the shower before. He thought that his urges, needs were well-controlled. But damn, he seemed to lost control every single time he was with Sara. And being in control was something he prided himself against.

Sara bit her lips in confusion when she felt something hard was sticking against her butt. Disoriented, she opened her one of her groggily eyes to get her bearings. The last memories she had was Greg giving her a cup of warm chamomile tea and then her eyelids drooped and everything just went pitch black.

She tensed and trembled with fears.

The last time she found herself waking up in unfamiliar surroundings was in Grayson Walsh's bed and feeling dirty and utterly used. Grayson Walsh did not bother about niceties and foreplay. Pains rippled across her lower body when he entered her without any preparation. Yet, she felt that the penetration was nothing as compared to her broken heart.

"Honey –"

Grissom pulled Sara closer to him and enfolded her in his tight embrace.

"Are you okay?" he whispered in her ears gently. "You're here with me. Don't worry," he added, wanting to calm her down.

"Let go, Grissom," she said harshly when she realized she was in Grissom's arms and it was wrong to be in his embrace. He was no longer single and intimately involved with Catherine. Though Catherine never did warm up to her initially, but the last few years in Vegas, Catherine and she did form a friendly friendship.

The night when she discovered she was just a fuck buddy to Hank, Catherine had taken her out for a drink and stayed with her till she stopped sobbing. Catherine never did anything wrong to her and she could not reciprocate her kind actions by hurting her the same way Hank had hurt her.

Reluctantly, Grissom relinquished his arms and felt a void in his heart when Sara jumped out of the bed and retreated to the far corner of the room. Her arms folded across her chest protectively and her chest rising and falling rapidly.

She held her hand up when she found himself wanting to explain. "No, Grissom, don't explain. You're never a person who had explanation for every weird action you do."

"Let's just pretend nothing happen." She knew that she could never forget waking up to Grissom just inches apart. His masculine scent, his beautiful face, his tousled hair and his erection – she could never erase them from her mind.

Grissom crossed his legs tightly, hoping that he could block his erection from her.

"Sara, I…" he paused, finding the correct words to form them into a sentence.

"Grissom, I have enough of all these. I don't want to continue to be your little puppet anymore. I don't want to run back to you when you tugged the string. I'm a human with feelings. I am not the fetal pig you had in your office or the butterfly specimen you pinned on the wall." She clutched the sides of her hairs tightly. She bit her lips to stop herself from crying.

"Go back to Catherine. You make a promise when you ask her to be your girlfriend."

With some dignity she had left, Sara opened the door and walked out of the room and Grissom. Though it pained her to say that but she was doing the correct thing. She could never subject herself to be a third party in any relationship. She did not want to become the shunned office slut.

* * *

Grayson Walsh sat in his silver Chevy waiting outside of Sara Sidle's apartment parking lots. Grayson Walsh was a well-connected man. Just a few phone calls and information about Sara was established. He knew her full name, where she stayed and where she worked within minutes.

He needed to complete some unfinished things with her. Firstly, her immediate supervisor, Gil Grissom had filed a complaint about him trespassed the scene and harassing his CSI. Secondly, she had screamed out 'Grissom' when they were having sex. And lastly, he was already missing her velvety inner walls clutching around his penis.

The erotic images of her panting heavily when he took her from behind caused his manhood to swell.

He wanted and needed to take her again regardless of the consequences. If he needed to take her violently, he would.

When her silver Prius pulled into the parking lot, Grayson Walsh knew that this was his chance. There was no man to protect her this time and her body language told him she was very vulnerable.

Sara stripped off everything she was wearing and threw them into the laundry basket. Her clothes were full of Grissom's masculine's scent and it reminded her of her heart pains.

She put on a sleeping robe when she heard frantic pounding on her door. Without looking at the peephole, she opened the door slightly.

Then it stood Grayson Walsh. He was smirking and stoking his erection.

"My sweet Baby Doll –" he unbuckled his belt and pulled them out, "remember this?"

Every sense in Sara's body told her to slam the door shut and called the police but there was something stopping her.

She opened the door and extending her invitation to Grayson Walsh.

She needed pains to take away her heart pains.

Grayson Walsh grinned and threw her over his shoulder and kicked the door shut.

When the door shut, Sara knew that she was trapped.

He flung her down and her body connected with the hardwood floor with a sickening thud. She lay on the floor like a broken rag doll.

Grayson Walsh placed his knees on the side of Sara's thighs, trapping her under him. He pulled off her robes and which exposed her naked form to his very eyes.

He bent down to bite one her nipples hardly. Pressing his erection against her entrance, he rammed into her without caring if she was prepared enough to take him.

There was no gentleness in this at all. It was all about his animalistic needs.

But Sara Sidle relished in this torture. It took her mind away from the pains her heart was experiencing.

And this time round, in haste, he forgot about condom and emptied himself into her.

He collapsed onto her and refused to withdraw himself from her.

Tears escaped from Sara's eyes as he flipped her over and continue his ravage.

Things were never going to be the same anymore for Sara Sidle.

The controls she thought she regained were thrown away when she allowed Grayson Walsh into her apartment.

* * *

When Grissom opened the door of his townhouse, he was greeted by Catherine jumping onto him and crushing her lips onto his face. Her taut nipples brushed against the thin materials of his shirt.

"Take me now." She wrapped her legs around him tightly.

Grissom pressed her against the wall and shut his eyes as he let his hands did the job of pleasuring Catherine.

"Honey… Honey…" he groaned as Catherine squatted down and put his shaft into her willing mouth. He pulled her up and thrust his tongue into hers and moaned Honey repeatedly as he entered her.

* * *

Grayson Walsh felt satisfied finally. Without the barriers of a condom, he truly felt the inside of Sara.

He zipped up his pants and gave Sara a last look. Sara was curled up into a fetal position. There were bruises all over Sara's body. Red hot hickeys were planted all over her neck, shoulder blade and inner thigh.

"Baby Doll, we can always continue this. I don't mind having a fuck buddy." He groped her breasts and pinched her nipples.

Sara shuddered.

"My sweet, sweet Baby Doll." He unbuckled the belt that was winding around Sara's wrists.

"But well, I think I had what I wanted. If I want you again, then I will find you." He looped the belts into his pants and smiled.

Sara Sidle felt worst after letting Grayson Walsh took her body.

Sara Sidle just cried as she realized the complications of her situation.

She lost everything. Her love, her control, her career and her dignity.

* * *

*duck behind a wall.* I promised things will not get better. =X Sorry. And the first time, Sara was truly intoxicated and this time she was hurt.

Sorry about that!

Happy weekend!

Do review and tell me what you think!


	7. Puppet

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 6 )**

**_Puppet_**

* * *

With a loud, languid and satisfied moan, Catherine collapsed onto Grissom. Catherine rolled over and rested her head on Grissom's chest, running her fingers up and down his chest and sometimes tugging his chest hair gently. She let out a satisfied sigh and snuggled closer to Grissom.

Finally, Grissom and she made love to each other. Though she was the one who initiated and pounced onto him but he did reciprocate her passionately. He explored every inch of her skins, touched her most intimate part and buried deep and exploded inside of her.

Eddie, her ex-husband, liked it rough during sex but Grissom was different. Though their session was not all gentle but with Grissom she knew it was different. There was love involved.

"Gil," she cross her legs across his waist, "I love you."

"Today is the best day of my life." She felt that their future would be a great one. She loved him and him too. Though he never verbally voiced out his love but she felt that he was. The way he screamed her Honey, and pleasured her ensured her.

Indeed, today was the best day of her life. With this huge step in their relationship, she believed that they would walk down the aisle one day. And, being Grissom, she knew that he would abstain from having sex with her if he had second thoughts about the relationship. The worries she had about them just disappeared into thin air and it was replaced with hopes. Hopefully, with this, she could control him like a puppet.

Her eyes closed slowly, placed her hands across Grissom possessively and she drifted into a contented sleep, thinking about their future as a family. There would be Lindsey, Grissom, her and their baby. Both physically and mentally, she was ready for another child. And with Grissom and her genes, she dared to say their baby would be one of the smartest and most adorable.

* * *

The scent of sex was thick in Grissom room and it irritated him. And the body that was wrapped around his torso had a musky scent. The smell of arousal, sex and her musky perfume caused Grissom to be giddy.

He sighed in frustration when he peered one of his eyes open. The hair that was right in front of his eyes was golden. It was not the chestnut brown shade he was expecting. He started to regret with every fiber of his being. He had further complicated the situation by having sex with Catherine. And the worst part was he had imagined her as Sara.

He came back to his cold and secluded townhouse in a delirious state. Her words cut his heart. He never meant to treat her as a puppet. Though, he knew what strings to pull when it came to Sara and he knew that he was the flame and she was the moth in their perverse relationship. She knew she would be burn but she kept coming back and he allowed it. He enjoyed the attention and it boasted ego.

And when she walked of the office with a determination to end all ties with him broke him. He just drove home with an empty heart and whatever he did was just a blur to him.

When Catherine jumped and showered him with fervent kisses, he just lost himself. He allowed himself to imagine that it was Sara who was wrapping her lanky legs around him, whose breasts pushing against him.

He allowed his primitive needs took over his logical mind. He needed relief too. No amount of cold shower was able to take his mind off how Sara grinded him when she was asleep. Her peachy scent filled his nose. It etched a 3D image completed with smell in his mind. And he missed her already. As much as she wanted him out, he wanted to see her now and needed to do that.

He gently lifted Catherine arms and legs up and slipped out of the bed. He opted for a quick shower to wash off all of Catherine scent and simple baby blue shirt and a pair of dark grey slacks. Sara had always loved this assemble. She once commented the color baby blue brought out his eyes.

He left Catherine an apology and a short note telling her Conrad needed him in the lab now. He did not know how to end the note. Ending it with Love, Grissom was contradictory to his feelings. Ending it with Grissom was too heartless. So he decided to end the note with a smiley face though it was not him but it seemed right. It left the interpretation of the note to Catherine.

The drive to Sara's apartment was not an easy journey. Numerous of times, he wanted to turn back and head for the lab but his gut feelings told him to keep driving Grissom was not a person who trusted gut feelings but today he allowed them to dictate his actions.

As he pulled into the familiar driveway, he smiled when he saw Sara's curtains were drawn and her silver Prius was parked at her usual spot. He used to drive her home before she got her own mode of transport. Then she would always invite him up for a tea to discuss about their cases. Sometimes, he rejected and sometimes he accepted it because he craved for her company. He truly reveled in it till he found that Sara was hovering too close to the imaginary wall he erected. He feared that one more step and Sara would gain access. And the worst fear of all was that he knew that she had the ability to cause grievous injury to him and his heart.

He never wanted to agree to the fact that he actually manipulated her feelings for him. Like controlling a puppet, he would occasionally let the string loose and then wrapped them around his fingers tightly, pulling her close. He left her with no breathing space and kept her close and at times he left her to be alone. She would always come back, yearning for more attention, praises and love.

As he closed the door of his Tahoe, he truly had no idea of why he was doing here and explained why he was here. All he knew that he wanted to see Sara and waiting till the start of grave shift would kill him.

His eyes grew wide with fear when he saw Sara's door was slightly opened. The Sara he knew would never forget to shut the door. His hands turned clammy as he pushed open the door. What greeted him was the unmistakable musky scent of sex and a naked, curled up Sara Sidle on the floor beside the greenish sofa.

"Sara," his voice was quavering. Sara was in a trance state and her body marred with bruises and handprints. His heart almost leapt out of his mouth when he realized Sara was raped.

He covered her modesty with the robe strewn nearby.

"Sara, Sara," he called again and again, receiving no response.

"Gosh, Sara, please," he cried, anguish evidently present in his cries.

* * *

I want to include Sara's part for this chapter but decide to post it in the next chapter. I hope next chapter would be intense for you and as you can see there will be GSR. Didn't mean to be a tease but adding in Sara's part is going to be long and tedious. So, it has to wait for the next chapter. :)

Lately, I have been working OT and dragging my tired ass home, so please be kind to me and review to let me know how you feel about this thus far. Do you like it? Let your magical hands to do the job of encouraging me. ^^ Haha.


	8. Hopes

Hope you like it.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 7 )**

_**Hopes**_

* * *

Sara wanted to remain in the state of reverie, never leaving her safe, warm cocoon. In her dreamland, she was happy. There were no crimes, no deaths, no Las Vegas, and no Grissom. She was in her parent's bed and breakfast, watching the torrents of guests streaming in and out. Her father was having a good day. Her mother was all smileys. Everything was peachy and vanilla.

Then there were times in San Francisco. She was working in the lab, surrounded by her friendly co-workers. An easy camaraderie they all shared. At least then, working was happy and stress free. With her friends, they did not allow her to sink or personally involved with the case. In Vegas, only Greg truly cared.

"Sara," she heard someone calling her. She refused to acknowledge. All she wanted to was staying in her dreamland. However, that person did not give up. He kept calling her name.

"Sara, Sara, Sara"

"Please, Sara"

Irritated, she snapped out of her dreams. Her eyes flew opened.

Grissom.

He was shouting her name and stroking her face.

"Sara" he sounded relieved. Though he could not see the life in her eyes but at least she was awake. Everything else could wait. Questions could wait. Later, he could collect the SAE kit.

Then suddenly every remnant of last night memories came flooding back.

Every part of her body hurt. Her nipples were sore and tender. Her butt was raw. The stickiness between her thighs and butt disgusted her. Her mouth tasted funny.

She remembered him smirking, guiding her hands to his erection. She wrapped her long, slender hands over his erection, stroking and pumping. He was not satisfied with just a hand job. He forced her head down. She remembered hesitating but he squeezed her mouth open and forced it in. She gagged and choked. He ignored and thrust deeper.

Everything later was a blur. She passed out either from shame or tiredness or both.

When she woke up, she thought he was gone but her hopes dashed when she could not move her hands. He tied her wrists with his belts again. He was smiling when she opened her eyes.

He sank his teeth to her every part of her body. He paid great attention to her breasts.

The wave of nausea overtook her. She turned and emptied her stomach. The bile burned her throat.

"Sara," in an upward stroke motion, he patted her back.

"Are you okay?"

"Go away, Grissom." Sara cried. . Why did he always find her at her most vulnerable? Why did he always see the worst state of her life? She did not want him to see her in this state. She was dirty and felt like a whore.

"Please Sara. You need help. I can get my kit and help you with the SAE if you do not want to go the hospital. We can bring that bastard to jail." Grissom spoke with difficulty. He wanted to be professional but it was difficult to do that when it was Sara.

Angers bubbled within Sara when she realized what Grissom was talking. He thought that she was raped. Thus, the empathy and gentleness was all an act.

"Fuck you! Grissom."

Grissom recoiled when he saw her angers. He wanted to pull her into a hug and calm her down but her angers stopped him.

"I am not raped, if you are wondering."

"I am the one who opened the door to Grayson Walsh and allowed him to do anything he wanted to me. And it was because of you." She could not control her emotions. She wanted to let everything out. All these years of frustrations, sadness and angers decided to liberate.

"Do you want to know what happened?" she stood up suddenly. The robe dropped and pooled at her legs.

Grissom looked away.

"Look at me!" she shouted. Cupping his face with her shaking hands, she turned his head towards her naked body.

"This," she pointed to bruises between her legs, "is when Grayson Walsh kneels on them." She moved her finger to her private part. "He entered me without any protection and preparation. He rammed me like an animal. Then he did not pull out when he shoot his sperms in. He made sure that every single drop was in me."

"And the worst part was he took me in every way possible. Every hole I have, he took." Her chest raised and fell rapidly. "He bites me. Everywhere. Grissom. Look at me," she continued, forcing him to look at her.

Grissom flinched and looked away again. Every explicit detail she shared cut his heart.

"It's your fault!" she slid down to the floor and tucked her legs behind her chin. She cried harder. She just drove Grissom further apart. She did not want to share any details but she just could not control herself. All of her energy left her body, leaving her exhausted.

"I am sorry." Grissom apologized. He pulled her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head.

"Please give me some times." He whispered into her ears tenderly.

He was determined to break it up with Catherine. When he walked into her home and realized that there might be a possibility he might lost her forever, he knew that Sara was the one he really loved and wanted to treasure. He could not lie any longer.

He loved Sara Sidle. To hell with his career, he painfully built. He wanted Sara Sidle. Nothing else could compare to her.

He turned her over to face him, crushing her into him. He wanted her to melt into him. He never wanted to let go again.

He showered her face with more gentle kisses. She gave in to his kisses. She realized no matter what, she was still the moth in their perverse relationship. She could not turn away from him. The flame singed her but she wanted more. She turned weak. Her knees buckled.

"Trust me?" he held her closer and stroked the small of her back.

"Can I?" Sara asked, skeptical. She understood what he meant by giving him sometimes. He asked her to trust him. Could she do that after all turbulence she went through?

"Yes. I will break it off with Catherine. Perhaps we can find somewhere else to live if you think this is better," he smiled.

"Can we?" she asked cautiously, "After what I allowed Grayson Walsh did to me?"

"Yes," he ensured. He was angry with himself more. He knew he was the one who put her in that position. If he was braver, Sara never needed to go through this. Grayson Walsh was just a small hiccup in their relationship and they could overcome it together.

He lowered his head and wanted to kiss her lips.

"NO!" she screamed and pushed him away.

Hurts written all over Grissom's face. He sighed sadly. He thought she was contemplating about his proposition and going to agree but it was just one-sided.

"I will leave," he picked up her robe and passed it to her.

"No, Grissom, don't leave." She pulled him back. "I need you here now. I need a bath. He's all over me."

Grissom nodded understandingly. She allowed him to lead her to the bathroom as if he was the owner of the apartment.

"What about Catherine?" Sara asked guiltily. Just last night, she decided she would not be the office slut and hurt Catherine but now she was virtually naked in the bathroom with Grissom and his baby blue shirt was hanging on the hook of the door.

Grissom was running a bath for her. He tested the temperature of the water with his elbow. He beckoned her over when he found the temperature to be just right. He slipped the robe off her gently.

"I will talk to her. She will understand." He said. He hoped Sara did not catch his doubts. Catherine would flip if she knew that she all along was a substitute. Catherine would not understand. The whole situation would get much complicated. His trusted co-workers split into his team and her team. The saddest part, his team would only consist of Sara, perhaps Greg and him. He did not care anymore.

Sara was more important now. Everything else was trivial.

"Can I really believe in this?" Sara asked again. She lowered herself in the bubbly, lavender-scented waters. Grissom passed her a toothbrush with a large amount of minty toothpaste.

"Sara, you can. With me, we can walk through any difficulty thrown into our way." He squeezed a dollop of shampoo and massaged them onto her head.

"Will we be punished?" Sara enjoyed how his fingers raking through her curls and massaging her scalp.

"We won't" he squeezed her hands for affirmation.

"I love you," Sara kissed the back of his hands. She wanted to tell him since she first met him and she finally had her chance.

"I –"

"No, Grissom. Tell me that we sort everything out." Sara cut him before he could say anything.

Grissom gave her a small smile, realizing she was right. He needed to sort everything out before telling her the sacred words.

"Sara, please trust me."

"Grissom, this is the last time I am putting my trust in you."

* * *

This is just a smokescreen. :)

Did you expect this? Is Sara the woman in the prologue? And do you think they will be set on the right path?

Please review, let me know how you think about this chapter. ;)

I'm still very busy at work. =( So pardon me if I disappear for a very long while.

I hope you like this.


	9. Despondent I

This is a short chapter. But there's another chapter which will continue from here. Please forgive me when you finished reading. Nevertheless I still hope you enjoy. The next chapter will be up soon if nothing happened at work.

I have finished this chapter before posting the last chapter.

And I was feeling happy because I went shopping after work so I decided to post this up.

Please bear in mind I wrote this with a heavy heart and my heart broke for Sara.

* * *

******Treacherous**

**( Chapter 8)**

_**Despondent I**_

* * *

Sara cracked her knuckles and bit her lips nervously as she sat on the black leather sofa. The atmosphere in the room was a huge contrast of how she felt now. The room was full of hopes and happiness but she was depressed and angry. The women were talkative and had a huge smile etched on their face. They talked about their different stages of pregnancy and the dos and don'ts.

Only Sara was sitting at the far corner alone with a huge veil of gloom surrounded her. She could not share the joys they had. The only reason she was here in the OBGYN clinic was to kill a life growing in her womb.

"Miss Sara Sidle," a young nurse called her name. She raised her right hand slowly. The nurse walked towards her and gave her an assuring smile. "My name is Joy. I will bring you to the preparation room." Sara nodded and followed Joy to the preparation room. When they reached, Joy passed her a green, flimsy surgical scrub and a clear plastic bag.

"You can put your clothes and belongings in this clear plastic bag and change into the scrub." Joy smiled and left the room to give Sara some privacy.

Sara stripped off all her clothing, folded them, and placed them into their clear plastic bag neatly. She took off her beaded necklace she loved lately and put it above her clothes. She gently caressed her slight swell. "I'm so sorry."

A stray tear escaped.

"Miss Sidle, are you done?" Joy knocked on the door, interrupting Sara's farewell.

"Yes," Sara slipped the surgical scrub on and unlocked the door.

"Before the actual procedure can start, we need to insert a tablet into your vagina. This is to soften your cervix for dilation. After a few hours later, we will then proceed with the actual procedure. The process may be a little pain. If you cannot tolerate it, you can press the bell. I will bring you some painkillers. In the meanwhile, you can rest in this room." Joy gave Sara a weak smile and asked her to lie on the bed.

Joy snapped on a pair of rubber glove and gestured Sara to open her legs wide. Sara flinched when she felt something glided in her. Joy patted her shoulder before leaving.

The few hours of wait were agonizing for Sara as she bade her child goodbye. The flashbacks of the past 2 months haunted like a ghost.

* * *

**_2 Months Ago_**

_Grissom gave her a small smile, realizing she was right. He needed to sort everything out before telling her the sacred words. _

_"Sara, please trust me." _

_"Grissom, this is the last time I am putting my trust in you."_

"The water is cold," Grissom rinsed off the soapsuds with warm water and pulled Sara up gently. He drained the tepid water and led Sara out of the tub. He grabbed a fluffy towel off the rack. He began to dry Sara's hair first, then moving his way down to her body and lastly to her legs.

Sara bit her lips when the towel touched her sensitive and raw part. "Are you okay?" Grissom asked, realizing Sara was twitching. "I'm fine," Sara replied her typical Sidle's answer. "Sorry, I should be gentle," Grissom apologized.

"No Grissom. I am really fine." She was not used to Grissom's gentleness and carefulness around her. She was used to his aloofness and apathy. Grissom nodded, and turned to look for a first-aid kit. He found the first-aid kit and grabbed the tube of aloe vera gel from the countertop. Wrapping the soft terry towel around Sara, he guided her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

"Lie down," his tone did not give her any allowance for argument. She obeyed and lay on her bed. He tugged the towel off and the bruises and hickeys pained him. Noticing his distress, Sara pulled her blanket up to her chin.

"Sara, I need to apply medicine on you." Grissom took in a deep breath and moved her hands away from the blanket. He rolled the blanket down to her waist. "I am really sorry," he apologized again, stroking the bruises tenderly. He took out ointment in the first aid kit. He squeezed a huge blob out, rubbed them on the contusions on her shoulder and applied gentle pressure.

"Are you in pain?" he asked softly. "No. I am ugly right." Suddenly she was conscious and ashamed of her body. She did not deserve this at all. She should be humiliated. She needed another bath to wash off Grayson Walsh completely.

"No, you're beautiful." He pressed her back to the bed. "You don't need another one. Stay still."

He squirted some Aloe Vera gel on his hand and spread them across her breasts. "Aloe Vera can temporarily relieve the soreness. The coolness can helps too," he smiled, as he circled her areola and brushed the gel over her sensitive bud. Sara shifted uneasily and pink hues crept on to her cheek. Her buds hardened under Grissom's soothing administrations.

"Grissom… please stop." Sara begged him to stop. She was in a very bad place now and did not think having sex with Grissom would help. It would destroy everything.

"I'm done. I need to check on your lower body. Are you comfortable with me to do that?" Grissom asked. His voice was full of love.

She wanted to reject his and she did not want Grissom to stare at her lower region that Grayson Walsh abused. She could not bear Grissom seeing the damages and deemed her as a slut.

"Can I?" he asked. His hands slid under the blanket resting on her hip area. "Please trust me."

He kissed her on her lips. He kissed away her doubts.

She relented, "don't judge me."

"I won't."

He gently nudged her legs open. There were tears welling in his eyes but he swallowed them back. He slathered a generous amount of ointment on her inner thighs. He grimaced when she trembled with pain.

He showered her with more kisses, leaving a trail from the top of her head to her navel. He wanted to kiss away her pains and humiliation. He wanted her to know that he desired her regardless of what happened.

He pushed his tongue into her willing mouth. His tongue swirled in her mouth. He explored her inside with a huge urge. Their tongue danced together. He moved his hands up and down the curves of her body. He caressed the curve of her breasts.

"I want you." He pulled away and looked at her with an intense need.

He swooped down to give her a passionate smooch and moved his hands southwards.

* * *

_**Present**_

A wave of excoriating pain hit Sara. She crouched on all fours. The uterus cramps were too much to bear. She moaned and cried when her cervix opened a little. Cold sweats covered her body. They trickled down like broken beads.

She doubled over when another wave knocked her out. Her hands reached for the bell but hesitated.

She decided she should go through the pains. This was her punishment.

And Sara Sidle was not an stranger to pains.

Her father whipped her with his belt and slapped her hard when he was drunk.

Her mother pinched and slammed her head on the table when she was annoyed.

Grissom inflicted the worst pains. It was emotional.

Sara Sidle placed her hands on her belly.

"Please forgive me. I am sorry. But I have to do this."

* * *

Please no debates on pro-choice or pro-life. Everything will reveal in the next chapter.

I did some research on the abortion process and if there are any mistakes is purely mine and I apologized for not researching thoroughly.

I am not sure when I can post the next chapter because it is still in the midst of crafting. And if you're waiting for updates for The Game Of Love, I am still finding the right words to put them into a chapter. I want to perfect it for GSR first chapter together. Although I am not a good writer but I want to make it as perfect as I can.

Please review if you can. :) I cannot force you to do that but reviews are my only rewards.

Happy weekend. Don't be weight down by this chapter.

Regards,

blu3crush.


	10. Despondent II

Please take a deep breath before reading. :)

This is a long chapter and please read with caution. I actually wanted to further break it into another chapter but I think I should not do that because I feel the anguish moments break when I split them.

This is sad, well at least to me. I need to take a few breaks in between to finish this.

This chapter is rated M for mentioning of abortion and parts of the procedures.

Please forgive any mistakes I made.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 9 )**

_**Despondent II**_

* * *

Recap:

_Sara Sidle placed her hands on her belly. _

_"Please forgive me. I am sorry. But I have to do this."_

* * *

The overzealous whitewashed walls in the OR scared Sara when Joy pushed her in. She clutched the sides of the wheelchair, her teeth cluttering in fears when Joy left her alone to get some things. Sara wanted to run away but she was too weak to do that. The tablet inserted in her vagina a few hours ago caused her serve cramps and some bleedings.

"Miss Sidle," Joy came back, donned in full surgical scrubs. "Can you walk?" Joy asked, gesticulated towards the bed with stirrups. "I'm not sure…" Sara mumbled weakly, and tried to stand up but fell back to the wheelchair.

"I will help you," Joy gave her a small smile, placed her hands under Sara's arms, and helped her up. Despite being a small woman, Joy was surprisingly strong for her physique.

Sara grimaced when the balls of her feet hit the cold resin flooring. The OR was cold, too chilly for Sara's taste. Goosebumps coated Sara's body as she walked towards the frosty bed.

Joy laid her down on the bed and placed both of her legs on the stirrups. She strapped them and pushed it wide apart.

"The Anesthesiologist will come in a few moments. He will administer local anesthetic to your cervix. The gynaecologist recommended local instead of a general anesthetic. After the anesthetic kicks in, the gynaecologist will insert absorbent rods to dilate your cervix. The surgical procedure will last 15 minutes to 20 minutes. After this procedure, you will need to rest in the clinic for a few hours before you can go home." Joy gave Sara a summary of what would happen later.

Sara let out a long breath and closed her eyes. She refused to imagine what was going to happen later. She was not particular grateful towards Joy for highlighting the abortion process. The guilt was already killing her.

She swallowed hard when a man in green scrubs wearing a white mask and with both of his hands raised above his shoulders walked into the OR. Joy passed him a pair of rubber gloves and he snapped them on emotionlessly.

He sat down on a wheeled round stool and pushed himself towards Sara. He propped her open, inserted something cold in, and depressed the syringe. Sara whimpered aloud as the injection was painful but he ignored and walked away. Slowly she felt the numbness spreading across her cervix.

The OR door opened again. Sara looked over her shoulder and saw her gynecologist walking in.

Her gynecologist gave her an assuring smile when she sat down on the same round stool.

* * *

**2 Months Ago**

_"I want you." He pulled away and looked at her with an intense need._

_He swooped down to give her a passionate smooch and moved his hands southwards._

He stripped himself, climbed onto the bed and knelt in between Sara's legs. He lowered down and caught Sara's mouth with his and his erection pressing against her opening.

"I want you, Sara." He breathed heavily and cupped her face adoringly.

Grissom parted her intimate folds gently and brushed her velvety inner walls slowly. He had to make sure she was prepared enough to take him. He did not want to rush and caused discomfort for her.

Sara grabbed a fistful of the satin sheets tightly. She was shaking with frights as the memories of Grayson Walsh came back to haunt her.

Grayson Walsh thrust deeply in her and releasing his seeds in her womb.

She froze when Grissom massaged her nub slowly.

"Sara?" Grissom stopped whatever he was doing when he felt Sara was convulsing and it was not from his ministrations. It was fright, he realized sadly. He pulled her up in a hug. "What's wrong? Honey."

"I'm sorry. Grissom. I just can't do this now," Sara broke free from his hug and retreated to the other side of the bed. She wrapped the blanket around her.

"I can't shake off the images of Grayson Walsh. I need times. And there is Catherine too. We cannot do that to her. What we had done is bad enough." Sara lowered her head in shame.

"I am sorry. I should never rush you into this. My desire for you never wavered regardless of what happened." He moved closer towards her and wrapped his arms around her body.

"Grissom, I know I am not in the position to ask but have you have sex with Catherine?" she asked. She hoped that Grissom would answer no. Her guilt for Catherine lessened if they did not consummate their relationship.

This time it was Grissom's turn to freeze. He did not know how to answer Sara's question. How could he reply with he did have sex with Catherine but he imagined Catherine as her. The truth hurt, so he decided a little white lie would function better.

"No. Sara. No. You all along were the only one I desired." There was a partial truth in his answer. Sara was he desired all along. He just skipped the part when he imagined Catherine as her.

"Come, I tuck you to sleep," he gave her a boyish grin, patting the empty side of the bed.

* * *

**Present**

Sara could not see what her gynaecologist was doing. The green cloth covering her legs blocked her vision. Neither could she feel what was happening. The only sense she could use was her hearing - the clattering of the metal trays, the purring of the machines and the beeping of the machines.

The gynaecologist worked on Sara fast. She inserted the tenaculum into her cervix to hold them in place and inserted some of the absorbent rods in to allow her cervix dilated. Noticing the cervix was wide enough, she inserted the suction cannula into the uterus. She probed the inside with the plastic curette to scrap the foetus and placenta away from the uterus wall. She turned on the electric pump. The suction device did its job of extracting the foetus and placenta out. The foetus and placenta were now a bloodied mess in the collection bottle.

Sara heard the sounds of the suction devices and then the squishy sounds. She knew that her child was none but a mess in the collection bottle.

She was not a person who prayed.

At that very moment, she prayed to God. She sought for forgiveness. She asked God to accept her child with open arms. She was sorry for what she did.

"Miss Sidle, we are done. Joy will send you to recovery room where you can rest for a few hours. I will check on you before signing your discharge papers. Overall, the procedure is a successful one. Joy will brief you about what the dos and don'ts later." Sara's gynaecologist smiled.

The irony hit Sara like a storm. A successful procedure was not what she was expecting to hear.

Her tears rolled off her cheeks freely when Joy released her legs from the stirrups and helped her to the wheelchair.

Joy who witness the heart-breaking scene did not know what to do to make Sara feels better. She was no stranger to mother who grieved when the procedure completed. But Sara was different. Other than grieve, there was guilt and angers.

"Your child is in better hands now." She consoled and placed her hands on Sara's shoulders. This consolation did not make Sara feels any better. Instead, it elicited more heartrending crying.

Joy helped Sara onto the bed and covered her with a warm blanket up to her chin. The sobbing ceased but Joy knew better. Sara was in a very, very bad place now.

"You know the drill. Anything, just press the bell. When Dr Lynn signs your discharge papers, then I will brief you. Anyone you want to call?" Joy placed the bell in Sara's hands.

Sara shook her head. There was no one she wanted to call. Not even Greg, who had been very helpful and kind to her the past 2 months.

* * *

**2 Months Ago**

Sara woke up to an empty side of the bed. The left side of the bed was cold and void of Grissom. She stretched lazily and let out a blissful sigh when she saw a note pinned on the pillow.

_Honey, _

_I am sorry for leaving you without letting you know but I need you to sleep. Ecklie needs me back at the lab. The Kent Family's murders have some new leads. I take the liberty to cook something for you. There are scramble eggs and bagels in the toaster oven. Take the night off and rest. I will talk to Catherine soon._

_Love, Grissom. _

Sara held the note close to her chest and smiled when Grissom thoughtfully hang her robe on the wardrobe. The part where he promised he would talk to Catherine soon filled her heart with hopes.

Lately, she was plagued with despairs and the ghosts haunted her every night. There were nights where she broke up in cold sweats. Her mother's evil glint when she plunged the knife in her father's heart. She could smell the blood in her dream. It was so vivid that she threw up when she jolted awake.

She hoped that everything worked out eventually.

One more stretch, Sara hopped out of the bed and prepared for work.

Sara walked into Las Vegas Crime Lab with an obvious light heart as compared to a few days ago. She greeted Judy with a huge grin. Her footsteps were light and bouncy as she made her way to the locker room.

She never meant to eavesdrop but the voices were loud enough.

"You're happy, Catherine," Warrick commented.

"I'm," Catherine replied in a singsong voice.

"A few nights ago, you are complaining and frustrated about the lack of actions in your sex life and now you're magically happy. Did Grissom and you?" Warrick's intoned amusedly.

"Well, well, do you really want to know?" Catherine's voice raised a few pitches.

Sara could literally see Warrick nodding his head.

"The sex with Grissom was mind-blowing. I never knew he was that good." Catherine's reply shattered Sara's heart.

"Eww, no details! I can't keep a straight face if I know about his bedroom activities," Warrick was happy for his mentor.

"I'm not going to share how my legs wrapped around his waist and …" Catherine trailed off and laughed when Warrick cringed.

Sara stomped out of the lab angrily.

He lied to her. He played her. He just wanted sex.

Sara was enraged. The tenderness he displayed earlier was anything but an act. He mocked her. He found her in the most vulnerable state and decided to mess her around. He created his promises so he could get into her pants. He wanted to claim her because he could not tolerate the fact that Grayson Walsh marked her. All along, it was just her wishful thinking.

Abruptly, sobs claimed her body violently.

* * *

**Present**

Sara did not know what to do other than staring at the white ceiling. She drifted back when she just turned 11 years old.

She was sitting outside the corridor, reading. The walls were mouldy and the place reeked. No kind nurses gave her sweets. This clinic was dark and the doctor seemed to be lunatic. She took a peep when the door opened. Sara was appalled. Her mother legs propped up and the lunatic-looking doctor was inserting a sharp object.

When she was in Harvard, Sara understood that the lunatic-looking doctor was performing unsafe abortion. Her mother went to an unlicensed doctor, as they were hard up on cash. The doctor had no access to proper medical supplies or a hygienic environment.

At that very moment, Sara decided that she would never give abortion a thought.

She would take charge of her life and never allowed an unplanned pregnancy.

She scoffed sardonically. Her life was in a mess.

Her career suffered. Working along with Grissom was too much for her. She asked for a transfer to the day shift. The assistant supervisor Sofia Curtis considered her as a threat and gave her the menial tasks. She shadowed others and often never given the chance to work solo.

Her health suffered too.

* * *

**2 weeks ago**

Sara bit her lips when she adjusted her mounds into her bra. Her breast and nipples were unusual tender and sore. They seemed to grow bigger and her bra did not fit her anymore. Her areolas darkened and enlarged too.

She stared at her reflection and realized her belly was not as flat as usual. There seemed to be a small swell.

She was unusually hormonal too. Her hormones were all charged. She shed tears when she saw Grissom walking out of the Crime Lab with Catherine. She had done a great job of avoiding them. She refused any point of contacts with them except for Greg. She calculated her timing precisely so she would never accidentally bump into anyone of them.

Speaking of timing, she realized her period had delayed. She counted the days of delayed mentally. The answer shocked her. She delayed for 6 weeks.

Waves of fears rolled over her.

"It can't be."

She clasped her mouth in apprehension.

Grayson Walsh never wore a condom. He emptied his seeds in her. She never took a morning after pill.

She felt thousands of needles of pricking the back of her head.

"Could it be?"

Later that day, Sara found herself in Walmart. There were 2 lanes dedicated to condoms, lubricants and pregnancy test kits.

She browsed through the rows of pregnancy test kits.

Some test kits promised 99.99 percentage of accuracy. Some had adorable babies on the packaging. Some was blue and promised results within seconds.

Sara picked out one that promised results within seconds and highest accuracy.

"Good luck," the cashier winked.

She went to the nearest toilet, with a paper cup and the test kit in her hand.

Dipping the test kit into the paper cup full of pee, she pleaded for a single line.

She shut her eyes close. After what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes.

2 distinct blue lines stared back at her.

She dropped the kit dejectedly and raked both of her hands into her brown curls.

Grayson Walsh's child was growing in her womb.

Realization of doom dawned upon her.

Sara stood outside the OBGYN clinic for a long time before deciding to enter the clinic.

"Hi," the receptionist greeted her with a warm smile.

"Are you a first time mother?"

Sara nodded.

"Do you have any gynae in mind?"

Sara shook her head.

"I will recommend Dr Lynn. She's the best in town." The receptionist hid her face behind the screen and typed quickly.

"Dr Lynn is available now. And it is still early. I can squeeze you in now." The receptionist looked at her adoringly. She loved this job because she loved being around mothers. They had the most beautiful glow.

"Do Dr Lynn performs termination of pregnancy?"

The warm smile replaced by a frosty look.

"Yes," the receptionist replied curtly.

"What's your name?" she rolled her eyes.

"Sara Sidle," Sara passed her identification and insurance details.

"Dr Lynn has an appointment now. You need to wait for a while. You can sit over there." She pointed to the far end of the room.

Sara wanted to argue but decided against it. She walked to the far end and sat down. She blended right into the environment.

* * *

**Present**

"Do you feel any discomfort? The anesthetic should wear off now." Dr Lynn asked, looking up from her chart.

"No, I felt a little woozy." Sara answered.

"It's normal. I will prescribe you some antibiotics. Some women may experience heavy blood flow for the first few days. If it continues beyond a week, please come back for a check-up. There will be cramping, nausea, sweating and feeling fainty. The symptoms will go away in a few days. Well, I just check your chart. I think you are ready to go. Joy will take over from now." Dr Lynn signed the discharge papers and headed out.

"We will schedule you for another check-up to ensure that everything is okay. To add on to Dr Lynn, please refrain from sexual activities for at least 2 weeks. Drink loads of fluids. No swimming or tub baths, exercising for 2 weeks. Don't lift anything heavy unless you feel physically recovered." Joy reminded her and passed her belongings back.

"Are you sure there is no one you could call?" Joy asked once again.

"I don't want to bother anyone. Can I leave now?"

Joy nodded, feeling sad for Sara. She had endured the ordeal alone and she seen how upset she was.

Sara waited for Joy to leave the room before sliding her hospital gown off and changed back to her clothing. She gave the room a last look and walked out gingerly.

She kept her eyes glued to the floor when she walked down the corridor.

She felt someone brushing past her. She did not lift her head to mumble an apology.

When she stepped out of the clinic, the unyielding sun blinded her momentarily.

She looked up to the skies.

"Sorry." She apologized again.

* * *

This is the first time I attempted such a long chapter. It's close to 3K. I am not sure if you like to read a long or short chapter. But I still hope you like despite this angst of the chapter.

Please review. :) Your reviews are deeply appreciated.

This will be the last chapter for this week and next week. (If everything is peachy at work, I will update my other works too!) =X

I never thought I will post so soon but then again I need to write them down if not I will forget about it.

As you can see, I added Sara S to the character. But it does not mean Grissom and Sara will end up together. I added her because I find I write Sara more as compare to Catherine.

Oh yea, happy weekend! And it's the 10th chapter of this story. I never thought I could make it thus far. Thanks for the support! I hope you still enjoy this despite the angst factor.


	11. Possession

This chapter is about Catherine instead of Grissom. I find it better for her to narrate what happened in her relationship with Grissom for the past two months. I do not want to delve into Grissom's part too soon. I want to introduce a few elements for the later part of the story.

I think what Catherine did in this chapter – though she played some tricks – was not wrong. Love is never fair and square. She did it for securing her relationship. Sometimes, some peoples play some underhand tricks for love and sincerely what she did was not that bad.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 10 )**

**_Possession_**

* * *

The past 2 months after they first consummate their relationship, Catherine's stuffs – clothes, facial products and shoes – began to find its place in Grissom's home. First, it was just a pair of strappy Prada stilettos. Then gradually, her shoes collection built up. Her comfortable flip-flops, conservative court shoes and black pointed pumps took over most of his shoes cabinet. His shoes shoved to the far end of the cabinet. To make more spaces for her shoes, she had him thrown out a few pairs of his old dirty sneakers and loafers.

Next, it was her clothing. Her work clothes – tank tops, leather jacket, cardigans, pencil skirts and long pants – hung right next to his work clothes. Then her party dresses and flirty sundresses took possession of one quarter of his wardrobe. She stored most of his comfortable clothes at the top of his wardrobe. She replaced them with matching polka dots PJs - hers pink and his blue. He cringed at the cheesiness but gave in when she argued that what most couple wore.

She tossed out most of his old boxers and swapped them with her favorite Calvin Klein ones. She smiled, stating that Calvin Klein's underwear lifted up his ass and gave them a good shape. Her matching lacy bras and thongs dominated his underwear drawer.

Lastly, her facial products and bath products were all over his bathroom. The countertop filled her facial products. There were anti-aging serums, creams, eye gel and shaving cream. Epilator and hairdryer also took its spot. Her myriad of bath and body products stacked neatly in the steel rack.

Catherine slept over every night except for weekends. Lindsey came home for weekends. Lindsey spent her weekdays in the boarding school. Due to her insistence, Grissom was no stranger to Catherine's house. Sometimes he stayed over for the weekend for a little bonding session. Lindsey was comfortable with the idea of him being her step dad. Grissom did not seem to mind with Lindsey's occasional slip of tongue, calling him Daddy.

Then she met with Betty Grissom for dinner too. Betty Grissom gave her approving glances and nods. Betty was happy that there was some woman who captured her son's heart. She did however pulled some sneaky stunt in meeting Betty Grissom. After spending nights in Grissom's house, she knew that Grissom met his mother over video conference every Wednesday morning. She purposely walked into their meeting in his dress shirt, her face flushed and rosy and hairs tousled. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nibbled his ears. Grissom wriggled out of her embrace awkwardly. Betty signed enthusiastically. Catherine could see the hopes in Betty's eyes. Everything escalated from there. Their weekly conversation would involve her too. Just last week, they met up for dinner and Betty was genuinely happy and excited for them.

With most elements of their relationship covered, there left Sara.

Sara had always been a threat to Catherine. Firstly, there was Debbie Marlin's case. She looked like a carbon copy of Sara. Grissom was obsessed with the case – working three shifts without resting, emotionally involved and lost his focus. She went to the crime scene to look for him when he did not answer her phone calls. He was crouching down on all fours, and spraying luminal on the carpet. Then she knew this case was personal. It was about Sara. There were rumors that Grissom and Sara spent a night in an empty office alone.

However now, Sara was no longer a threat to Grissom and her. She asked for a transfer to Day shift and cut off all contact with the team and Grissom. Whenever Greg mentioned about Sara, Grissom's eyes turned stormy. Flecks of angers flashed through his eyes. His posture turned rigid and wanted to change the topic. She realized with glee that Grissom and Sara's friendship had cooled to a point that Sara would avoid contact. Once she saw Sara walking towards the break room and turned away when she saw Grissom and Nick in it discussing about a case.

Grissom approved her transfer without any questions. He did not do anything to ask her to stay. The last time Sara threatened to take a long leave of absence or transfer to FBI lab, Grissom was a lost puppy. He asked her what he should do. Eventually, he sent a pot of plant and Sara stayed. But this time, there were no actions. When probed, he just shrugged and gave his typical Grissom's reaction.

Catherine did not mind Grissom indifference at all. She was just happy that Sara was out. With Sara out of the picture, their relationship was secured and ready to bring it to the next step.

Now, here she was standing in Grissom's bathroom, holding a test kit and a cup of pee. With shaky hands, she dipped the tip of the test kit in. She waited with abated breath for the lines to appear.

Grissom and she made love every other night. He insisted on using protection but she told him she was on pill. Truth be told, she was on pill when they had sex the first time. Subsequently, she just conveniently forgot about them and he did not ask again.

She glanced at the results. She sighed disappointedly when a minus sign appeared on the test kit.

Two whole months of unprotected sex, and yet she was not pregnant. Her heart swelled with excitement when she missed her period. Now, she was let down.

Perhaps there was problem with her body. When Eddie and she were married, she terminated pregnancy twice. Both times, she did not think that Eddie and she could afford another baby. Moreover, Lindsey was a difficult baby – colicky, irregular eating and sleeping pattern. Eddie was a hard punk rocker who thought that gigs were more important. And she was supporting her studies, Lindsey and Eddie with the pathetic stripper pay. Her reasons for termination were justified. Therefore, she went ahead with her decision to abort.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to see a gynecologist. Dr Lynn was the best in town.

"So how's the result?" Catherine asked, one palm on her thigh, another palm supporting her chin.

"Hmmm," Dr Lynn mused teasingly. "Catherine, everything is fine."

"Pelvic examination results are great. Your body is in top-notch."

"But, I have two abortions before." Catherine's lips twisted bitterly.

"If the abortions were done correctly and safely, there will be no side effects. Catherine, please be rest assured. Relax. Relaxation is the key to pregnancy." Dr Lynn smiled widely.

Catherine skipped down the corridor happily. She was perfectly healthy. Perhaps, relaxation is really the key to pregnancy. Sex with Grissom, though mind-blowing, was stressful. Sometimes, his gazes glazed when he entered her. He seemed to be out of mind. He screamed her Honey during sex but he never called her that normally. She constantly worried if he was imagining her for someone else but she always brushed it off when he wrapped his arms over her and they drifted off in a deep sleep.

"I'm sorry," she apologized when she knocked onto someone.

The figure ignored her, kept her gaze downwards and continued to walk towards the exit.

"Sara?" Catherine frowned. She shook her head. There was no way Sara would be in an OBGYN clinic. Decided that she mistook the slender figure to be Sara, she is going to head home. Grissom had the night off.

* * *

Catherine took off her red stilettos and placed them beside Grissom's down-to-earth brown loafers. She strutted in and tossed her clutch onto a nearby sofa. She plopped down on the armchair next to Grissom.

"Hey Sexy," she smiled, leaned forward to place a kiss on the top of Grissom's head. Catherine liked a laidback Grissom. Grissom wore a pair of grey slacks and nothing else. His spectacles perched on the nose of his bridge, biting his pencil, lips pursed in deep thoughts. Grissom looked up from his crossword and frowned. Catherine knew that he hated to be disturbed when he was doing crossword but she loved to interrupt his quiet time.

She snatched his crossword out of his hand and threw it behind her. The frown deepened. She jumped onto his lap, and favored him with more kisses. She nibbled on his neck. Neck was Grissom's sensitive spot, his erogenous zone. She bit down hard and it elicited a raspy moan from Grissom.

She pulled away abruptly and popped off the buttons of her shirt slowly. Her hips swung suggestively, tantalizing Grissom with her slow, provoking dance. She slid off her blouse unhurriedly.

Taking in a deep breath, Grissom took off his spectacles and placed them neatly on the coffee table. He scooped her up and walked towards the bedroom. Her arms draped around his neck, drawing circles on his sensitive zone and whispering into his ears.

Catherine rolled over and purred in contentment.

"It's going to be Thanksgiving soon. Perhaps we should organize a team gathering." She suggested suddenly.

"We can invite Betty too."

Grissom shrugged, "I am not one who organize gathering."

"We can invite Sara too. Nick complained that he never saw Sara after she transferred to Day." Catherine ignored Grissom reluctance and continued.

Grissom's breathing quickened and he turned rigid.

"I heard that she took 2 weeks off from work. That's so un-Sara." Catherine mentioned casually. She supported her chin on one palm and fixed her gaze on Grissom.

"Perhaps she's sick or something. I think I saw her in a clinic today."

"Oh. Perhaps she's sick." Grissom replied uninterestedly.

"Perhaps I saw wrongly. There is no way Sara would be in an OBGYN clinic." Catherine gave Grissom a Cheshire grin.

"I went to do a body checkup and the gynae told me I am in perfect health." Catherine drew delicate pattern on Grissom's chest.

"I think I am ready for a family. Are you?"

Suddenly, Grissom felt his world stopped spinning.

* * *

Please review. I hope the last two chapters about Sara did not stop you from continue with this fiction. Grissom's part should be up this weekend. :D

I think I will be focusing on this story more now.

If you're interested, you can visit [ blu3crush . wordpress . com ] (Just take away the spacing in between.) This wordpress holds my initial drafts for some stories which I think should not be posted over here but I think it's fun for you to read how my initial thoughts. Bear in mind, some of drafts are edited and reviewed... while some are just plain raw drafts. So they may have spelling errors and grammar errors. It's not that the chapters I posted here are perfect but those are just plain raw. Just a warning though. It's just for fun. ^^;

Hi delita0204, thanks for the review. Next chapter will reveal where Grissom is and why he left Sara alone. ^^


	12. Shattered

_Grissom's part, as promised – I am sorry for the delay. The inspiration just doesn't flow for this chapter and my nose and throat are nasty now. Thus, proof-reading is minimal. I apologize for any mistakes made. =( Hope you will enjoy it._

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 11 )**

**Shattered**

* * *

_"Come, I tuck you to sleep," he gave her a boyish grin, patting the empty side of the bed. _

**_2 Months Ago_**

Grissom put on his best grin and patted the empty side of the bed luring Sara to sleep. A boyish grin he knew that no one could resist. Sara stifled a yawn, nodded and moved towards the empty side. Her head rested on his outstretched hand. He pulled the blanket up to her chin, wrapped his free hand across her, and pulled her closer. He let out a low moan when their skin touched, skin to skin, with no barrier in between them. She was too tired to take note of his reaction. She snuggled closed and buried her head on his chest.

He started to hum a childhood tune his mother used to sing before she turned deaf. The tune soothed him whenever he had nightmare about his father. His father sitting on the chair, immobile, cold and very dead etched in his memory and it scared him. He stroked the small of her back lovingly and kissed the top of her head.

The corners of his mouth tugged upwards when he saw her struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Honey. Sleep." he said in a smooth, low voice.

"I… am sorry… for not being able to…" she apologized and drifted into a sleep before finishing her sentence.

Her breathings evened out and the rise and fall of her chest steadied. Grissom knew that Sara was in deep sleep.

He looked at the white ceiling and sighed.

Sara was the one he loved. He had always known that yet he did not dare to pursue her. Instead of doing the correct thing, he pushed her away again and again then pulled her back. He accepted Catherine's proposal and had sex with her. He wondered how he could resolve the sticky situation.

It was going to be difficult to talk to Catherine. She would not take this down easily. The whole lab would know and they would take sides. They would think that Sara was a slut who stole boyfriend. They would throw them dirty stares and say hurtful things. He did not mind the gossips at all. He knew he could cope with them but could Sara? They were her family. She did not mention her immediate family and Grissom knew little. She had a brother but her brother only came up once in a conversation. Could Sara handle their sneers and cold shoulders?

The Catherine he knew would never go to let them off easily. The tears she shed and the pitiful victim stance she was going to take. And Sara and he could never say anything but to bear with her tempers and her accusations. Could they manage it?

"Honey… I am so afraid…" he gnawed his lips to stop him from crying. He was afraid, so afraid that if Sara could not take it and decided to take off, leaving him behind. He knew that his heart could never be able to take it. She was a part of him now. She was his best friend, his soul mate and most importantly the love of his life.

Sara responded by moving closer to him and wrapped her thin arms around him. His heart soared when he realized she slept well when he was by her side. He had the ability to sooth her.

"Honey, perhaps we could leave Las Vegas."

He never thought he would leave Las Vegas, the lab and his team. However, Sara was worth it. He had tonnes of invitations from various Universities asking him to be their full-time professor. He could accept them and let Sara choose the location.

Or perhaps the research project in Costa Rica. Sara would love the rainforest, the animals, the habitat and climate. Sara always complained about the hot Vegas Sun.

Every decision he was going to made was going to revolve around Sara. Sara was going to be his main consideration. He needed to make sure she was comfortable with their decision.

He let out a throaty groan when Sara wrapped her legs across his waist.

"I don't know how long I can control myself if you keep doing this," he tried to keep a small distance between them. He could not control his erection from growing and he did not want to startle her.

They had a long journey to walk but he knew they could do it.

**_Present_**

Grissom felt like a stalker now – parking his car in an unlighted corner of Sara's apartment parking lot. He perched his head and hands on the steering wheel and looked up. Sara's blinds were not drawn and there were lights streaming out.

Whenever he was frustrated or vexed, he would find himself driving to Sara's place. This had become a habit and an addition he could not get rid of. This seemed to cure his pounding migraine.

He shut his eyes in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to sooth another wave of migraine that was attacking his head now.

The question Catherine asked him earlier stumped him.

_"I think I am ready for a family. Are you?"_

He just flipped off the bed and left abruptly without answering her question. She lay on the bed, fuming and sent pillows towards him. He ignored and ambled into the shower room to take a cold shower.

Their relationship seemed to have taken a few large steps. In the past two months, Catherine took over his place slowly. Every little change she made was gradual. They were never over the top. He never found out about them until his trusty old boxers went missing.

Then he realized every corner of his townhouse had a little Catherine. The shoe cabinet filled with her shoes. Half of his wardrobe had to make way to accommodate her clothing. His used to be simple bathroom with just a shower gel, shampoo, single blade shaver and shaving cream transformed. Her products changed every month. The old products shoved to the back to house new ones. His bathroom now was a mess and he did not like it. As a matter of fact, he hated it but he did nothing to change. Neither did he stop her.

He simply did not have the strength to do that. When Sara hurt him after he promised her he could do everything for them, he simply stopped functioning and never found the strength to break it off with Catherine. He was afraid of loneliness for the first time of his life.

Eventually he succumbed to Catherine's seduction.

Before this episode of Sara, he had diversions. His bugs, cockroaches, butterfly specimen and Stevie were his diversions. He donated them to the local research facility when they start to upset him. The butterfly specimen reminded him of Debbie Marlin and in turn reminded him of Sara. The cockroaches reminded him of the cockroach race he participated last year and Sara accusing him of not trusting her enough to put her in charge of the lab. The bugs reminded him of the entomology textbook he gave Sara for Christmas.

And, Catherine was good, in fact, very skilful and talented. She knew everything that enticed a man and he was after all a man. A man had his needs too.

Most of the times he kept his eyes closed to lessen his guilt. His mind always pictured Catherine as Sara.

After how Sara shattered his heart, he realized sadly that he still loved her.

He stalking out in the car now, the very scene reminded him of what happened two months ago.

* * *

_Please review – I really love to know how you think about this story. You can always give me some suggestions. And I am sorry if my reply to your review is short this time round – really not feeling well. _

_ Part 2 should be up soon if I get better. Want to know what happened? You know what to do. :O _

_Anyway, tomorrow is the start of CSI 13. Hopefully it will be good too. _

_I started a new story – I know I should not do that when I have so many uncompleted stories on hand – but I am just excited about having a new story and always eager to share. But I will not start on that so soon. I will be focusing on this and The Game of Love first. I am sorry for that. *puppy eyes* but however if you are interested, do pop by profile for Wish Comes True. I have yet to decide on the male lead. _

_Regards,  
blu3crush. _


	13. Wounded

To cut my long sob story short of why my updates are infrequent is because I worked OT almost every day (inclusive of weekends too) and I am having a writer block. I will try my best to update frequently. I apologize for going off the hook.

I am sorry about it and please forgive me if I go off the hook again.

Thanks for waiting and I hope you will enjoy this chapter.

claudia40gsr - thanks for the support and pm for asking me to update. :)

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 12 )**

**Wounded**

* * *

_He stalking out in the car now, the very scene reminded him of what happened two months ago._

_**2 months ago**_

Grissom skipped his way out of the crime lab and jumped into his Tahoe happily. The thought of seeing Sara again lifted up his mood and tugged the corners of his mouth. He told the team he needed to leave early. He left them baffled when he took his old and battered briefcase and left the office. Their slacken jaws amazed him. He never knew that jaws could drop so low. He wondered did they ever manage to close them. He gave his shoulders an easy shrug and left the break room.

For all the years he devoted himself in work, he was never distracted but tonight was the first. The crooks of Las Vegas decided to declare tonight as a public holiday. The night went pass without any reports of crimes. The guys and a newly hired CSI were playing video games in the break room. Greg was brewing his Blue Hawaiian and swinging his hips, his rock music blasting in his ears.

He justified that without him around in the lab tonight, it would not cave. The crooks would not suddenly decide to have a mass drug party and mess up Clark County. The Kent Family murders were finally on track. They narrowed down to a suspect and Brass was following up. He was free from his obligations and he decided to take the night off.

The engine purred into life when Grissom turned on the ignition and stepped on the accelerator. He wanted to drive straight to Sara's apartment. He wanted her in his arms and wanted to kiss her everywhere. He missed her. The few hours they spent apart were agonizing. He was unable to focus on his work, the report blurred into lines and their chatters were just noise. He regretted asking her not to report for work but he knew she needed to rest and calm down.

Now he needed to drive back to his townhouse, have a quick shower and bring all the offer letters for Sara to choose. He just hoped that he did not run into Catherine – at least not now. He had to sort out his thoughts and to minimize all the hurt and impact before he sat down with Catherine and have the talk.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Catherine was not in his townhouse. He wrinkled his nose when he still smelt the scent of sex lingering in his room. He stripped the sheets and dumped them into laundry basket. His part-time housekeeper would do the job to clean and change the sheets. Perhaps he could get a new bed too but then if they were going to leave Las Vegas. The bed was no longer important.

He had a quick shower and changed into a fresh set of clothing. He bundled all the offer letters and clasped under his arms. Swinging his car keys in his finger, he made his way down to his garage.

He whistled along to the country music the radio put on when he drove to Sara's apartment. The offer letters lay beside a bouquet of baby breaths and white lilies. He remembered Sara once told him that she hated roses. She felt that they were clichés. She preferred baby breaths and white lilies which complemented each other. Sara would like them, he hoped.

He was disappointed to find that Sara's windows were drawn and the curtains drawn when he pulled into her parking lots. He figured that perhaps she went out to run an errand.

He twisted the volume knob louder, to allow country music to fill his car, droning out his loneliness and worries. He tried Sara's landline and directed to her answering machine. He could not get her on her cell too. Her cellphone switched off. Sara did not belong to irresponsible type who went off the hook without any prior notifications. Another possibility he could think of was she went out for a run. He saw Sara as the type who enjoyed the night breezes against her face when she ran.

All he could do now was to wait.

A few hours passed and there were no sights of Sara. Tapping his finger on his steering wheel impatiently, Grissom lost count of the times he looked out his window hoping to see Sara.

He lifted both his arms to stretch and cracked his neck to sooth the taut muscles. He gave the offer letters a glance and wondered which one Sara would pick. He had a plan in mind. Both of them had chalked up an impressive amount of days off. They could go to San Francisco to relive their first meeting. She could wear her white tank top and her tight black jeans and him in his grey slacks and blue button up shirt. That was what they wore when their eyes first met in the auditorium. Her clothes were simple and yet breathtaking. Her youth, vitality and womanly curves exposed to his naked eyes. Then he had to control himself and reminded himself that she was his student and he was her mentor. Yet he was unable to refuse her Starbucks offers. The coffee break was for following up to her questions in his lecture.

He smiled at their memories before Vegas.

She was so much happier and livelier. Her brown orbs oozed hopes. Now, her brown orbs were dull and told him she did not trust anyone anymore. Vegas seemed to drag her down into an abyss of no return. He was positive he was the biggest contributor to that. He was determined to pull her up.

He gnawed his bottom lips nervously when his watch showed four in the morning and Sara was not back yet.

Maybe, he should drive around to look for her.

Then a cab pulled into the parking lot. The cab did not interest him until he saw a familiar form tumbling out. It was Sara. He hopped out of Tahoe and ran towards the cab.

He stopped dead in his track. Other than Sara, another guy tumbled out of the cab too. Sara was giggling and laughing at the same time. Her arms draped around his neck and her lithe body pressed against his chiseled body. Another fit of giggles erupted when he whispered into her ears.

Grissom's face turned dark and stormy. She went out to drink again and came home with Grayson Walsh again. Didn't she learn her lesson? Just a few hours ago, she was crying and cringing and now she wrapped her arms his neck. She was sucking his neck skin too.

"SARA" he shouted. His tone was angry and strained. He wanted peel those hands that enveloped across Sara's waist and chopped them into pieces.

The duo turned. Sara leant into the Grayson's embrace.

"Grisssooommm" she slurred his name, cackled, and met his angry gaze.

"Meet Grayson Walsh" she laughed. She did not know if was sheer bad luck that Grayson was in the same bar as her whenever she was at her most vulnerable. He slid into her booth with a beer in his hand. His hands roamed up and down her thigh and lingered at the spot where he knew she was most sensitive. With a combination of beer and hard liquor, Sara gave herself up and arched herself into him. He pushed her legs apart and fondled her private part. She moaned into his mouth when he captured her mouth. She swallowed the alcohol contents in his mouth. It tasted slightly salty. She frowned and shook her head. She felt dizzy and high. She felt very stimulated when Grayson Walsh continued to rub her private part. He found his way under her bra and tweaked her nipples. They turned strained and hard like pebbles and she thrust into him.

Grayson Walsh smirked when Sara turned into putty under his hands. Although he just had her yesterday, he craved for her again. When he saw her again in the booth alone, he knew that he had his chance again. He took out a small vial of liquid GHB and poured them into his beer. He took a huge swig before slithering into her booth.

She was very intoxicated and he knew that with alcohol and his home-brew GHB and some stimulating drugs. Sara Sidle had no chance of escape. He fed her his beer when he kissed her. The effects were almost immediate. She was now a wanton woman without any sexual inhibitions. There many things he wanted to play with her. Bondage, and perhaps some S&M.

"Get your hands off her" Grissom barked and wanted to pull Sara in his embrace.

Her eyes were glazed and her lips were dry. She seemed to be drugged.

Sara swatted his hands off her, jumped onto Grayson, and wrapped her seemingly never-ending legs around his waist.

"Go away Grissom" Sara rolled her eyes.

"He is strong, younger and definitely could satisfy me more ways than you could" Her laughs were shrill and mocking. She just wanted to hurt him. She knew that their age gap was constantly his worry.

She traced Grayson's chest with her slender finger, "this is fitter too."

Grissom backed a few steps. He was shell-shocked by what Sara just said. Her words cut his heart deeply. He swallowed the lump that was building. "Sara, are you drugged?" he tried again. He refused to believe that Sara meant what she said.

"Drugged?" she shook her head violently, "I am intoxicated with him"

She brought his face and gave Grayson a smothering smooch.

"Let's go," she breathed into Grayson's ear.

She felt hot and needed to peel off her clothes. Her core was throbbing and she needed something to fill her up.

"Damn," she cursed when she realized Grayson did not move.

"Let's go, Baby Doll."

Grissom watched them walking into Sara's lobby and feeling lost.

Sara did not want him to save her. She seemed to be enjoying Grayson's touches.

"Sara what happened?" he cried, raking his hands through his curls.

The lights in Sara's apartment flickered on. The curtains drew wide apart.

Grayson pressed Sara against the windows. From where he was he could only see Sara pressed against the windows and bouncing up and down. The windows turned foggy.

A stray tear rolled down Grissom cheeks.

Banging his head against the steering wheel, he wondered what went wrong in the few hours they were apart.

He kept his promise and was ready to bring Sara away from Vegas to start afresh.

He cried and cried letting his emotions ran free.

He must have fallen asleep after sobbing his guts out.

Woken up by the quick raps on his car window, he turned and squinted.

What greeted him was Grayson Walsh smug smirk.

Grayson Walsh signaled Grissom to roll down his window.

"Absolutely mind blowing. She was so flexible. She can take any positions. I bet you did not know she gave the best blow job." He stared into Grissom's tired eyes. A corner of his mouth turned into a sneer.

"Do you like our sex against the window? I bet you watch, Dr. Grissom. Is that one of your fantasy? I am so sorry I am the one who fulfilled your fantasy. She must be very sore… after the nights of activities."

"You bastard" Grissom clenched his fists into tight balls.

"Tsk, tsk, mind your language, Dr. Grissom" He turned and strutted off.

Grissom banged his fists against his windshield repeatedly.

The angers did not seem to leave him. Instead, it aggravated.

He wanted to stomp up to Sara's apartment and shook her awake. He wanted to scold her and slap her awake but he realized he was not in any position to do so.

As a matter of fact now, he was just her Superior and nothing else.

He started the engine and drove off without a second look.

That was what he feared the most. Sara had the ability to hurt him and shattered his heart.

He had a girlfriend waiting for him at his townhouse. At least Catherine did not have the ability to hurt him.

* * *

Do you still blame Grissom? – I hope not. :)

He was ready to give up everything for Sara and yet this happened.

Sara went out to drink after hearing the exchange between Catherine and Warrick again. =(

Sorry if this upset you.

I will write more to bridge what happened in the 2 months for Sara. XD She was in a bad place now.


	14. Sleep

I don't know if you're still reading this. I am really sorry for the delay. Nothing I write seems good enough. I hope you do not abandon this story and me. Do leave me a comment, letting me know you're still reading.

Hope you enjoy this.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 13 )**

**_Sleep_**

* * *

Sara wrapped her thick wool blanket tightly around her, which she obviously did not need it in Las Vegas's weather, curled up into a ball, eyes glazed, waiting for the sleeping pills to work its miracles. Tired, both mentally and physically, she did not manage to have a good night sleep since the abortion. She almost laughed at the irony. She, Sara Sidle, who did not need sleep and spent her days off listening to police scanner, wanted to sleep so badly. She just wanted to start functioning again.

She did not want to lose her only pride – her job. She lost her focus at work and made sloppy mistakes. Her keen eyes failed her and her brains stopped functioning. Her investigation riddled with mistakes and she sent in a few samples to the wrong lab or ordered the wrong tests. Conrad had threatened to suspend her and Sofia reprimanded her in front of others. Some snickered behind her back. Some rolled their eyes and mumbled about her inability. The Day Shift CSI kept a distance from her and groaned out loudly when they had to work with her. She felt like an outcast. No, she was an outcast. They treated her as if she was invisible, a ghost.

She did not mind it initially. She was used to being alone when she first came to Vegas. But, she missed the easy camaraderie between Grave Shift CSI and lab technicians. She missed walking into the break room, grabbing a cup of Greg's expansive coffee and plopping onto the sofa next to Nick. Greg's silly gags cheered her up. Warrick was a brother to her. Even Hodges's holier-than-thou and arrogant attitude was better than the Day Shift lab technicians who disregarded her and her tests were their last priority.

As much as she missed Grave Shift, she could not ask for a transfer back. She could not face Grissom. Grissom reminded her of pains and her abortion. Epitome of her messed up life stemmed from Grissom. If Grissom did not start a relationship with Catherine, she would not be drinking her life off in a pub where Grayson Walsh was. If he did not come over to her apartment, comforted her, promised and then failed her, Grayson Walsh would not have the chance to drug her and had sex with her again. The memories were foggy. She knew he drugged her, as she could not remember any details of that night. The evidences she had was the evident smell of sex and her naked body entwined with his when she woke up.

She closed her eyes, hoping the sleep pills had set in. The moment she shut her eyes, beeping of the life support machines, surgical instruments clattering against the metal trays and the suction noises began to haunt her again. She could not shake off the guilt of killing her unborn child, her baby. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. How could she take away an innocent life? She opted for the easier choice. She decided to end a life. She lay on the bed; legs propped up on the stirrups and waited for the surgery to finish. The suction machine sucked out a life she should be protecting and loved.

She rolled over and pressed a pillow over her head, wishing that it could drown out the noises. Her tears soaked her pillow before the sleeping pills claimed her.

Sleeping proven to be a bad choice. Her sleep was plagued with nightmares.

She was locked in a confined space – it seemed like the broom closet her mother kept her in when she was young to keep her out of his father's wrath. Her mother, though delusional, knew how to protect her. She let out a sigh when she realized she was worse than her mother was and wrapped her arms across her legs. Her eyes adapted to the darkness. She saw a little girl sitting opposite of her. She gasped when the little girl's hazel eyes bored right through hers. The coppery smell of blood suffocated her. The pit of her stomach churned and bile lodged in her throat. She swallowed hard to keep the bile in her.

The little girl stared; her gaze never wavered. Her stare discomfited her. Goosebumps coated her whole body.

"Hey" she tried to make small talk, wanting the uneasiness to dissipate. The little girl was her only company.

The little girl shrieked. Her shrill shouting rattled her and she cupped both of her ears to block high pitch screams. The little girl ran towards her. It was then she realized the little girl's face was mangled and her limbs were crushed.

"WHY DID YOU KILL ME!?" the little girl screamed.

Sara jolted awake by the alarm clock. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, her tank top drenched and her face as white as a sheet of paper. She pressed her palm onto her forehead, calming her nerves. She felt the familiar sting in her eyes. She was crying again. She had been crying awfully a lot lately. Grissom's betrayal and her abortion caused her tears to run freely.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and hoisted herself up to prepare for work. She slept just enough for working. She shook her head to lift the fog in her mind. Taking in a deep breath, she swung her feet out of the bed.

The shift started relatively easy. The briefing was fast and concise. Conrad assigned her to a B&E case, which she did not mind. She wanted an easy case to get her footing right. The case was simple. The burglar was careless, entering the mansion without any gloves. She lifted prints off the doorknob and the partial print got a hit in AFIS quickly. With the results, she notified the PD and they made the arrest.

She walked into the break room, caught a whiff of a pot of well-brewed, rich aroma coffee. She inhaled deeply and wore a small smile on her face.

"Greg" she exclaimed. She knew only Greg bought expansive coffee and brewed them in the lab.

"I knew I could tempt you here with coffee," Greg grinned widely, and poured two cups of coffee. He handed one of them to Sara. "I miss you." They sat on the sofa and Greg's arms wrapped around Sara's shoulder.

"I missed you too," Sara sipped her steaming cup and enjoyed the smooth coffee sliding down her throat. Greg rolled his eyes and withdrew his hand. "You're a liar. You stopped contacting and meeting me."

"I..uhm," Sara sighed, her head bowed in shame. Greg was her best friend and she shut him out after the abortion. She did not to anyone to see her despair state. She wanted to be the frog, which lived in the well and did not give a damn to the outside world. Greg hugged her tightly. "It's okay. I am always here."

Sara almost cried again but she fought back her tears, relishing in Greg's embrace. She felt safe in his arms. She should not have cut off contact with Greg. He would support her through her dark times. She knew that he could keep secrets and never judged her.

"You looked tired," Greg commented, after taking a good look of Sara. The dark circles beneath her eyes, blood shot veins and worn-down look she spotted spoke volumes.

"I have not been sleeping well." Sara gave her shoulder a shrug and rested her head on Greg. Greg rumbled on about what happened in the grave shift, Hodges's snide remarks, and Nick's teases.

Sara felt her eyes getting droopier and yawned. Her shift just ended and Greg's shift did not start in a few hours. She knew that Greg came into the lab earlier, hoping to see her. Greg's shoulder was comforting and she knew Greg would protect her.

Greg stopped grumbling when he heard soft snores. A grin graced his face. He tightened his embrace. He did not give a damn about what others might think when they saw them. He just wanted Sara to be safe and happy. He heard about her sloppy works and she took 2 weeks off from work. He knew something happened in Sara's life. Though he was fairly certain Sara would never let him know what happened, he just wanted to be Sara's shield.

Greg's heart broke when he saw Sara devolving. She used to have a huge grin on her face whenever she reported for work. She was bubbly and energetic. She changed after returning from San Francisco. After hearing about Grissom and Catherine's news, she seemed to spiral out of control. She no longer laugh and worn a grim look. She asked for a transfer without telling him why and surprisingly Grissom approved. He hated Grissom's approval without any questions. There were speculations, rumors about why Sara asked for transfer. Sara loved Grissom and she could not bear seeing Grissom with Catherine. There were hints of truth in the rumors – he knew about Sara's secret crush but he never thought that Sara was serious about Grissom.

"Sara, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Sara burrowed closer and her hands searched for Greg's hands. He took them and entwined his fingers through hers.

"I hope you're sleeping well now."


	15. Closure

Greetings in advance – Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

I cannot stand Sara in such a misery so I decided to give her a closure she needs. :) I am sorry for not updating regularly. I hope to pick up my regular updating schedule again. I know I have many fictions that are still hanging in the air but I will be updating soon. I am really SORRY.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 14 )**

**_Closure_**

* * *

Brass watched the barefooted woman who was trembling on the chair with the corner of his eyes. Her supposedly neat chiffon bun was in disarray, stray hairs strewn across her tear-stained face and the intricate makeup that took hours to put on was in a mess. Her eyes were downcast, glued to the tiled floors and shoulders slouched defeated. The grip on the bottle of water passed her was so tight that her knuckles turned white. Out of nervousness, she played with the bottle cap – unscrewed and screwed it back repeatedly.

Brass cleared his throat irritably. Other than looking a little worn out from a night of partying and losing her pair of expansive heels, Emily Holden looked perfectly fine. He had no time for this silent game this woman is playing. She was a socialite, daughter of an important diplomat with deep connections to the government. If she was none of the above, he was sure he would not be call back from his well-deserved break and watched her playing the bottle cap.

Emily jumped out of her skin, startled, dropping the bottle of water in the process. The bottle of water rolled towards Brass. He bent, picked it up and pressed that bottle of water back into her shaky hands. He took in a deep breath and kept himself from rolling his eyes. He was not one who loved playing politics but he knew he should never offend a diplomat's daughter.

"Captain Brass," she spoke with a deep accent. The grip of the bottle of water was tighter as if it was her lifeline. Uncrossing her legs and crossing them again, she took in a deep breath and pulled her cashmere shawl closer. Looking up, she met Brass's quizzical glare. Brass let out a frustrated sigh.

"I am raped," her voice was barely above a whisper. It was difficult for her to acknowledge that she was raped. She was not used to being weak. The word weak never existed in her dictionary. Her father had taught her to be strong and never let her defence down. She felt like a fool now, letting her defence down, letting a man to buy her a round of drink. She enjoyed the attention and she paid the price. The only time she let her hair loose, lost her inhabitations and stopped being a prude, this happened.

"I could not remember any details. The last memories I had was I was drinking with a guy. He told me he is a reporter. The next morning, I woke up in his apartment naked. He was in a shower when I snuck out." Emily rubbed the bruises on her wrists. The bluish bruises were glaring and she wanted to rub them away. "My father brought me here when I told him what happened."

"Miss Holden," Brass's ability to speak lost on him momentarily but he quickly composed himself. "I believe you were fed with date rape drug." Emily bit her lips and held his gaze with glistening tears. He could see the helplessness in her and strangely, he wanted to help her. It was not because she was the daughter of a rich diplomat but he saw someone who needed aid.

"A female CSI will accompany you to Desert Palms for SAFE kit collection."

Emily could only nod her head and wrapped her arms around herself as a protective mechanism. Her father told her to fully co-operate with the police and the best she could do was to co-operate.

Sara came to Brass mind when he needed a female CSI from Day Shift to accompany Emily to the hospital. He needed someone who was sensitive and conscientious and Sara was the only who stood out. He could not trust anyone who was under Conrad's leadership. Sara was different and he knew could trust her. Sara, after all, was from Grave Shift and Grissom handpicked her personally.

Sara flashed Brass a wide grin when he walked into the break room. She missed Brass and it's been long since she worked any case with him as he normally worked with grave shift. "To what do I owe you," Sara smiled, offering him a cup of tepid coffee. Brass made a scowl when Sara offered him community coffee. "That's the best I can get without Greg," Sara laughed, settled on a nearby couch comfortably, sipping her cup of coffee.

"I need your help. This case belongs to Day and I want you to see it through."

Sara sat up with her back straightened and looked at Brass intently. Brass did not often ask for help and when he did, the matter must be serious. She listened to what Brass had to say without any interruption and nodded at appropriate time. She understood that this case needed to be treated with high sensitivity and confidentiality.

"I need you to go to Desert Palms with her. A nurse will be collecting the rape kit. I need you to process it immediately when you're back."

She was able to identify the fears the victim was having now. She went through it a few months ago and she did not have the guts to report her perpetrator. She refused to open her private life to her colleagues. Moreover, she allowed herself to be vulnerable and she did invite Grayson Walsh into her apartment. She had lost her dignity in front of Grissom and she did not want anyone else to know.

She hoped that the victim would not experience a breakdown during the examination. The rape kit collection process was invasive, uncomfortable and it took hours to finish. She had seen countless of women who broke down before the process was completed and refused to allow the nurse to continue collecting evidences after the breakdown.

Emily Holden and Sara rode in silence. While driving, Sara's gaze occasionally fleeted across to Emily, making sure she was all right. Emily avoided her gazes and focused her attention on the road. Tears had ceased but the pains and fears Emily felt were still raw. The worst was not being able to remember fully what had happened in that bedroom. She did not lead a promiscuous lifestyle and was definitely not a wanton woman who slept with any man. She did not know what she did to deserve this.

Sara pulled her department issued Denali into the driving lot and killed the engine. She turned to face Emily and bit her lips contemplating what to say. Emily trembled slightly realizing they had reached the hospital.

"I," she croaked, her throat was sore and dry. Sara gave her an encouraging smile, took her hands, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I will be in the room with you the whole time. You will not be alone."

"Thanks," Emily barely whispered and looked at Sara with gratitude. She just needed some support to go through with the examination.

There were 14 steps in collecting a rape kit and each process got progressively intrusive. The nurse explained to Emily that at any one-step if she could stop the nurse from collecting or swabbing her if she found the step too painful or distressing. Emily nodded absentmindedly and kept her eyes on Sara who was standing at a corner of the small examination room.

The nurse was expressionless when she went about collecting the evidences. She explained to Emily what she had to do for each step and asked for her permission before proceeding. Emily squirmed when they reached step 8 and 9. The nurse had her laid on the bed and propped her legs open. She ran a comb through her pubic and collected any loose hair on a piece of white paper. Her whole body shivered in fright as she felt a pair of tweezers near her pubic area. The nurse plucked out some hairs from different area of her pubic. She wept and shut her eyes. She imagined she was in her stable and washing her white horse and then riding on her horse, her dark brown hair whipping in the air.

She almost wanted to give up and stopped the nurse from proceeding when she knew that the nurse had to swab her vulva, vagina and anus. She refused to allow the nurse to touch her and curled up into a ball.

"Emily," Sara patted Emily's head gently, "if you want to stop we can but we need all evidences to be able to nail that son of a bitch who hurt you."

Emily bit her lower lips and swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. "I just needed some time." Sara nodded at the nurse, asking her to give Emily some time.

"Whenever you're ready, just let us know."

"It was a high society function. Media, socialites, businessmen and diplomats attended this party. It was a charity ball. I was drinking and flirting. This was the first time I let myself loose. I enjoyed the flirting." She sniffled as she began telling Sara what happened at the ball.

"I drank and drank. The margaritas, red wine and martini were free flow. I had a lot but I am a good drinker. My alcohol tolerance is high. But, this time I was unable to keep myself awake."

"Emily, we can don't do this now." Sara wanted to put it to a stop.

Emily shook her head, and continued. "He was handsome - boyish looks and a willowy frame. I danced with him. Close. Our bodies were grinding together. I just got out a breakup and I thought why not. He looked decent. He told me he was a famous reporter. When he offered me a drink, I accepted without any suspicious."

"Could you describe his looks to a sketch artist?" Sara asked, holding onto Emily's hands.

"Yes. I can remember his looks. It's what happened in his apartment a blur."

Sara breathed out a sigh of relief. "We can do that after this. Can we continue?"

"Yes."

"I don't know how I ended up in his apartment but when I wake – OUCH," she screamed out in pain when she two swabs were thrust into her vagina. "Please be gentle." Sara stared at the nurse. The nurse just shrugged and smeared the swab onto a slide.

"Wake up, I just ran out of his apartment and called my Dad." She continued.

"Do you remember his name or did he give you his name card?" Sara asked.

"He introduced himself as Grayson…" she paused, searching for a last name, "Walsh."

Sara dropped her notepad and stared at Emily. "Shit," she muttered under her breath and refused to believe in coincidences. Grayson Walsh, she knew, was also a reporter and he had access to date rape drug. If he was the one Emily was talking, she should never be here. There would be conflicts in interest. The defence would never let go of the link Grayson Walsh and she shared. She was afraid that they would find out about her abortion, claimed that she was bitter, and tried to frame him.

"Emily, I am sorry." She apologized before escaping the room. She had to call Brass and asked for a replacement. It was only fair for Emily and she did not want to ruin her chances in court.

* * *

Sara stood behind the mirror, watching and listening intently to what Grayson Walsh had to say for his defence. Both of her hands were entwined together as she took a deep breath. Seeing Grayson Walsh again brought back a wave of bad memories. Memories which she did not want to relive again.

She was glad that the law finally caught up with him. He no longer had the chance to hurt women. Although she wished she was the one inside the interview room interrogating Grayson Walsh, she couldn't. She was not allowed to touch any evidences and anything that was related to the case. She might jeopardized the case, ruined any chances of Grayson Walsh's convictions if she touched any evidences. The prosecution might called her as witness.

Emily Holden's father would never let him off easily. He would pull a few strings. He would serve his jail time in the most notorious cell. Some prisoners were not kind to rapists and took them as their personal toy. She did not know how Grayson Walsh would survive in there but she was glad that she finally had a closure. Though the physical and emotional pains of her abortion would not fade away any sooner but she knew that she was recovering.

"Hey."

She turned with a soft smile on her face when she heard Greg's voice. She knew Greg came over to find her after learning that she became gossip of the month. After talking to Brass, he had Sofia take over. She was uncertain if Sofia had spread the rumours or someone else in the lab found out and added more flavours to it. Honestly she did not care or bother.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Why shouldn't I?"

"The rumours," Greg walked forward and placed him hands firmly across Sara's shoulder. "You know that I am always here for you."

"I know. Thanks, Greg," Sara closed her eyes and rested her head on Greg's shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not now. Greg. I will tell you one day." Sara promised that she would tell Greg what happened one day but she would leave out Grissom's part. Grissom's part would strike a raw nerve amongst others. She did not know how others would react when they found out. Would they pity her and be at her side or would they shake their head and point their fingers at her. She could not cope with either outcome.

"All right," Greg smiled wistfully. He knew when to stop pushing Sara for an answer or explanation. "How about I get you a cup of my best coffee? I have Civet Coffee. It's world most expansive coffee. Nick does not know about this. Let's just keep it a secret between the two of us."

Sara plastered a wide smile on her face and winked. It had been long since she wore a smile on her face but Greg always managed to put one on her face. "I will. Now, go make me that cup of coffee." She loved Greg, for his loyalty, his understanding and never judgemental towards her. Greg was whom she could rely on and let her guards down. She was grateful she had Greg. If there was no Greg, she would pack her bags and leave.

* * *

Grissom never enjoyed doing paperwork. The pile of papers and reports on his desk were calling for his attention but he had been dawdling. His attention should be on the report but his mind was elsewhere.

Rumours – they were flying everywhere in the lab.

Usually, he never participated in gossiping. He never kept himself updated with gossips. He never wanted to be a part of any gossip. He neither spread them nor cared about them. But, this time, it was different. The target of this gossip of the month was Sara.

He could not help but lingered a little longer in the break room, listening to what the day shift CSI were discussing. He learned about Grayson Walsh's arrest and Sara's involvement. Brass confirmed Sara could not continue with the investigation and would not further elaborate why. The day shift CSI blew it out of proportion.

"I told you she's promiscuous. I saw her in the bar and she was grinding her whole body with a guy." A day shift CSI, Grissom recognized as Emma, whispered loudly.

"I wondered did she sleep with… you know," Emma laughed shrilly.

"SHHHHH" another CSI placed her index finger to her lips and pointed towards Grissom's direction. They all nodded and moved on to another topic.

"That Grayson Walsh actually looked quite handsome. No wonder she slept with him." Emma giggled. They nodded in agreement.

"Do you think she throw herself onto him?" another asked.

"Don't you all have something better to do than GOSSPING?" Greg barged into the break room, shouting. He glared at Grissom, as if condemning him why he did not speak up for Sara and instead allow them to continue gossiping.

"The rumours are everywhere." They rolled their eyes, picked up their mugs and scurried off.

"You disappointed me." Greg shook his head and brushed past Grissom. He was angry with Grissom for not standing up for Sara. He wondered how Sara would fall for so emotionally unavailable and failed as a friend.

Grissom strode out of the break room in shame and retreated back to his office hurriedly. He settled down in his chair and stared at his pile of paperwork.

He wished he was Greg. Greg was so fiercely protective of Sara and his trust and loyalty for Sara never once wavered. He believed in her and listened to her. He lent her his shoulders when she badly in need of one. As for him, he brought nothing but pains and tears for her. He trusted what he saw that night. He allowed Grayson Walsh to inflict pains to Sara. He did not believe in his guts when he thought Sara was drugged. He let them up to her apartment. He did nothing to protect her. Instead, he staked out in her parking lot and blamed her for his pains. He approved her transfer without any question. He never asked what happened. The last few weeks he saw her, she had aged and lost a substantial amount of weight but he was not concern. On some levels, he was actually happy. He thought that she deserved all these. Now, with Grayson Walsh in custody and what Brass had told him, he came to learn that Sara was a victim too.

He let out a frustrated sigh. He needed to talk to her. They had not talk since that episode. She avoided him and he did the same too. He needed to know what happened.

Regardless of what had happened in between them, he was unable to deny the fact he loved Sara. Sara still held a place in his heart.

He decided that needed to find Sara. They could try to talk. He knew that with Sara's stubborn character, it was unlikely they would be able to talk calmly but he had to try. This was his last chance.

He knew where to find Sara. His legs brought him to the interview room Grayson Walsh was in.

When he reached the interview room, he saw a frail figure leaning against the door, eyes closed. His heart ached when he saw a once lively Sara so drained. He wanted to reach out and stroke her face and pulled her into his embrace. He noticed her tears and oddly he wanted to cry too.

"Sara," he spoke softly and tenderly.

Her head snapped up, startled. "Grissom."

He offered her a weak smile, "Can we talk?"

* * *

Do you think they will have the chance to talk?

Merry Christmas in advance!


	16. Almost

Sorry, I took so long in between updates. I think I have lost interest in writing currently. And the current situation with GSR in the current season is depressing. I'm getting a little disillusioned with GSR. And most importantly, my muse has officially abandoned me and it's not coming back any sooner. I struggled with each story. I tried to type something on word and found myself deleting every single word. I think I am too stressed out, over work and real life. I hope my muse will come back to me soon.

I know I have a few on-going stories and I have started a few new stories but I apologize for not updating them regularly.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. And leave me a comment on how you feel.

* * *

**Treacherous**

**( Chapter 14 )**

**_Almost_**

* * *

_"Sara," he spoke softly and tenderly._

_Her head snapped up, startled. "Grissom."_

_He offered her a weak smile, "Can we talk?"_

* * *

When he stepped into the observation room and had a good look at Sara, he had a shock. Sara had lost so much weight. Her cheeks were sunken and her arms were paper-thin. She looked so frail and weak. There were dark hues and bags under her eyes. She looked so different from her San Francisco days. The sparks in her eyes and her feisty character, which he loved, were gone. He never noticed how frail she became.

He swallowed the lump that lodged in his throat and blinked his eyes. He closed the door behind him and walked towards Sara. Without much thought, he pulled her into an embrace and whispered comforting words. He blamed himself for approving her transfer without any questions and did not protect her when she needed him the most. He was seething when he saw she came home with Grayson Walsh and let his anger took control. He should have known that Sara would never allow Grayson Walsh into her home again and slept with him. He should have pulled her away from Grayson Walsh. He should never let her taunts to dictate his decisions. He just sat in his car, watching and imagining how Grayson Walsh ravished her.

Sara struggled and fought. She did not want his pity and his comfort. She sure did not need him hugging her in the observation room. She did not need him here.

"Let go. Just cry," he whispered into her ears and tightened his hug. He placed his hands at the small of her back and rubbed her back soothingly. When she heard what he said, Sara just cried. The tears she held back for a few months came cascading down.

As much as she did not want to admit, she missed Grissom. There were nights when she blamed him for her ordeal but most of her nights were spent missing his gentle touches and brilliant sapphire eyes. She masked her emotions behind a façade. She transferred to Day Shift and avoided him. She knew that she would break down if she was near him.

She really did. She broke down and cried. The tears she kept at bay for months just fell when he pulled her into an embrace.

"Sara," he lifted her head up and brushed away her tears with his thumbs tenderly. "Can we talk?" he asked again.

Sara realized how close they were and they were in an intimate position. She stiffened and tried to push Grissom away but he held on and refused to let go. The last time he had let go, something bad happened to Sara.

"Please let me go," she begged. She did not need new rumour and especially not rumours pertaining to Grissom. She had heard what the day shift CSI and lab technicians had said about her. She could not blame them because after all there were some underlying truths in what they said. She had slept with Grayson Walsh. But she really did not want adding Grissom to her rumour mill.

"I will let you go if we talk," Grissom said.

Sara nodded and pushed Grissom away when he let go of his hands. She stumbled a few steps back and only stopped when she was satisfied with the distance between Grissom and her. His presence in the observation room was looming and she suddenly felt the urge to run past him and escape from the lab.

Grissom grabbed hold of Sara's hands when he realized her intention of escaping. Her eyes were darting between the door behind him and him. Sara visibly flinched and shook loose of Grissom's hold.

"Tell me what happened after I left your apartment," Grissom pulled Sara to a corner and trapped her with his body. They needed to talk and he did not mind pulling a few tricks.

Sara did not know how to start. Should she start with how she overheard Catherine telling Warrick about her mind-blowing sex with him? Or should she start with how he lied to her – telling her he never had sex with Catherine when she asked? Perhaps she should start with how Grayson Walsh slid into her booth and plied her beer and GHB concoction.

Grissom waited for Sara to begin. He saw the myriad of emotions that flashed past her face and his heart wrenched in pains when he saw tears sliding down again. He moved his hands from her waist to her face and wiped away her tears. "We have time," he soothed. "You can take your time."

"I don't know where to start," Sara said. She really had no idea where she should start. For the past few months, she had buried her painful memories deep in her brains and locked them away. This was her way of dealing with her pains and abortion. She had shut everyone out and functioned like a robot. She did not grieve for her unborn child's death. She refused to grieve and did not think she was allowed to grieve. Her unborn child was dead because of her decisions.

"Tell me what happened after I left your home," Grissom said, feeling that was the best point for her to start. He asked her to stay home and rest but she obviously did not take his advice.

"After I woke up and found your note, I felt better and decided to go work," Sara started uneasily. Grissom nodded encouragingly and urged her to go on. Sara took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Grissom thought about what Sara had just said. If she went to work, he sure did not see her at shift. He thought she was resting at home and the whole shift his mind was with her at her apartment.

"But I never see you at work," Grissom pointed out matter-of-factly. Sara gave a wry smile, "I left because I overheard…"

Sara paused when someone knocked the door. She shoved Grissom away and staggered to the other end of the room. Grissom groaned and turned to face the intruder. Sara was opening up to him and the intruder picked a great timing to interrupt.

"Gil," Catherine poked her head into room, with a grin plastered on her intricately make up face. "I am looking everywhere for you." Catherine strutted into the observation room, and linked her arm around Grissom's arm. She leaned closer and laced her fingers with Grissom's fingers.

"Oh, hi Sara," she finally acknowledged Sara's presence. Sara smiled dryly and greeted Catherine with a simple hi. Catherine relinquished her hold on Grissom and went over to hug Sara.

"I have heard about the rumours. I hope you're all right," Catherine put on her best motherly voice. "I hope you're not affected by them. The rumours will pass by soon," Catherine let go of Sara and winked.

"Oh," Sara could only manage a small nod.

"I have your mother on Skype. She wants to talk to you, Gil," Catherine turned her attention back to Grissom.

The lines between Grissom's creased deeply. Ignoring Grissom's scowl, Catherine continued. "We're planning Thanksgiving dinner. She will be coming over and I have book a ticket for her."

"Let's go to my office. She's waiting online. She's telling me about how she wants to meet Lindsey." Catherine smiled coyly. Catherine grabbed Grissom's wrists and steered him out of the observation room.

"Sara, take care. We will send out the invitation when the plans are concrete. You have to come. We have all missed you." Catherine cast a sideward glance towards Sara and smirked. Sara tried to keep a blank look to mask her distress and nodded.

Catherine did it deliberately. Usually, she would never display her affections for Grissom so publicly. But Sara warranted this. She had to tell Sara, Grissom was hers. She needed to stake her hold on Grissom.

When Hodges came into her room with a glee to tell her about Sara's gossips, she knew she had to act fast. She knew Grissom would look for Sara. If they had a heart-to-heart talk, she would potentially lose Grissom. Despite her self-assurances that Grissom loved her, deep down she knew otherwise. Grissom was distant and he never really gave her his heart.

She forged a plan and called Betty's secretary to arrange an online meeting. After she learned that Betty was deaf, she had gone for sign language lessons to be able communicate with Betty. She needed to build a relationship with Betty.

"Gil, you really should not been in the same room as Sara alone," she chided lightly. "After all, you're a supervisor and the rumours about Sara are rife. You should keep a distance especially now."

"Catherine, Sara's our friend." Grissom looked over his shoulder and saw the door of observation room slammed shut. He had wanted to shake Catherine's hold loose, run back to the room, and comfort Sara. But Catherine's hold was too tight and his mother is waiting online.

Grissom sighed dejectedly. He walked to Catherine's office, feeling resigned. He felt that was his last chance with Sara and he had blown it again. He knew that Sara would never open to him again.

After Catherine pulled Grissom out of the room, Sara slammed the door shut and sat at a corner of the room. She pulled her legs to her chest and tucked them under her chin. She could not control the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She should never raise her hopes up for Grissom. She should never let her guard down. Why Grissom always had that effect on her? He always managed to draw her out and bare her soul for him.

Sara reached for her cell phone that she kept in the back pocket of her jean. She flipped it open and dialled Greg's number instinctively. She needed a solace and support. Greg was hers lifejacket. He never judged her and always managed to put a smile on her face.

"Greg, I need you," she managed in midst of her struggled sobs.

"Where're you?" Greg said, without asking why. He did not need to ask why. If Sara needed him, he would be there for her in a heartbeat.

"Observation room," Sara swallowed hardly. "Take me home," Sara pleaded. She just wanted to go home, have a warm bath and wrap herself in her thick wool blankets.

Grissom looked up from Catherine's laptop and saw Greg wrapping his arms around Sara leading her out of the lab. Grissom felt his breath caught in his throat and a sting in his eyes. He blinked and felt a lone tear slid down. He turned back his attention to the Skype conversation with his mother and Catherine. He tried to his overwhelming emotions behind a smile.

He realized that he could never give Sara happiness. What he brought her was just sadness and pains. Perhaps he should really let go. He should never send her the pot of plant, asking her to stay in Vegas.

"Gil, are you okay?" Catherine asked, elbowing him slightly.

He wondered would he ever be okay. No, he would never be fine. His heart was torn apart and a piece of his heart went missing.

"Yes, I'm okay." he answered automatically.

* * *

Thanks for reading and leaving a comment!


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